Deathly Hallows: Part 1
by DREWHHR
Summary: DH  my version . Got this idea from movie. H/Hr. Not sure about Weasleys yet. Rating for later chapters. Now completed. Part 2 to be out in July.
1. Grangers

**Hey, wassup? So, I need to get organized. Hehe. I'm going to do DH my way, based on movie, I guess. Starting with the first part of the Harry Potter movie. Btw, it was AWESOME! Harry/Hermione kiss soooo SEXYYYY! :) And Harry/Hermione was the cutest effing thing ever!**

**Anyway, this chapter is about Hermione blanking the minds of her parents. But she can't do it alone and she wants Harry to meet her parents before she obliviates them.**

**DISCLAIMER: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**I'm not sure where the Weasleys are going to stand in this story yet.**

**Enjoy!**

**The Grangers**

Hermione sat in her room on her bed reading the _Daily Prophet_. A tear rolled down her cheek as she read an article about a Muggle family that had died the night before. Dan and Emma Radcliffe were their names, only twenty-five when they died. They had two children, Ariana and Max, who were four and two respectively. They had all been slaughtered. Even the two children. Hermione began to sob when she realized that the younglings were even killed. The Death Eaters did not even spare them. What was worse was that there was a picture of the young family. The husband, Dan, was a strapping, young chap, with dark brown hair and blue eyes. He had some stubble on his chin, making him look handsome. His arms was around his wife, Emma, who had dark blonde hair and brown eyes. She was very beautiful. In her arms was a little boy with dark blonde hair and blue eyes. A spitting image of his father, except for the hair. In Dan's lap, sat the little girl, Ariana. She was the exact opposite of her brother. Dark brown hair and brown eyes. It was a very normal family. And their lives had been ended because of prejudices. Hatred for Muggles.

She looked at her dresser and saw the picture she had of her and her parents in France in front of the Eiffel Tower. They had asked a local Frenchman to take the picture for them. She did not want to see this picture in the _Daily Prophet_ with _'Muggle Family Dead'_ in black letters above it. She wanted her parents safe. They could not defend themselves. Not against Death Eaters. She needed to modify their memories. Let them forget about her. But she couldn't do it alone. She needed Harry. Her best friend.

She walked over to the phone in her room and picked it up. She pressed the buttons, calling the Dursleys' house phone. "Hello?" she heard a familiar voice on the other line.

"H-Harry?" she asked letting out a small cry.

"Hermione..." he whispered. "What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I need your help."

* * *

Twenty minutes later, the doorbell rang and Hermione ran down the stairs to answer it. She flung the door open and immediately wrapped her arms around her best friend. "Harry!"

"Hey, it's okay, Hermione. Shhh," he soothed her, rubbing his hand up and down her back and swayed back and forth. Hermione felt him plant a small kiss on the side of her head. She held him even tighter against her.

"Hermione?" they heard a feminine voice from inside. "Who's that at the door?"

"Come on, I want you to meet my parents before I do this," she whispered in his ear. Harry nodded and smiled, letting her take his hand and lead him inside. She led him into the living room where her father and mother were sitting down watching a game show.

"Mum, Dad, this is Harry Potter, my best friend," she introduced. "Harry, this is my dad, Jacob Granger, and my mum, Charlotte Granger."

Harry smiled at her father. "Hello, sir, it's lovely to meet you," he said holding out his hand.

Jacob Granger smiled and stood up, shaking the young man's hand. "It's nice to meet you, too, Harry."

Charlotte Granger stood up, as well, but did not shake his hand. Instead, she wrapped him in a hug, much to Harry's surprise. "It's nice to finally meet you, Harry," she said after she let him go. "Hermione's told us so much about you. It's just sad that we had to meet seven years later."

"Yes, ma'am, it is," he replied blushing a bit at the thought that Hermione talked about him a lot.

"I was just thinking about making some tea. Would you like to join us?" Charlotte asked.

"Erm, yes, ma'am, if you don't mind me intruding," he responded running a nervous hand through his hair.

"Oh, nonsense, Harry. You're not intruding. Stop being so modest," Charlotte lightly chided going into the kitchen to get the tea started. Harry spotted pictures of his best friend on top of a lovely, brown piano. He walked over to them and smiled at the happy child that sat in her high chair. He smiled at the young girl in her school uniform for her school picture. A young girl stood with her bunny rabbit, holding it tightly. Not letting it go. He had never really knew what his best friend's life was like before Hogwarts. It was normal. Normal than his. He turned around and looked at her parents. This is what he wanted most in this world. A family. A family like Hermione's. The Weasleys were too large and he figured he would have no privacy. But the Grangers were well-kept people. Normal as normal gets. Simple. The way Harry liked things to be.

Hermione walked over to him. "Hey, what are you thinking about?" she asked trying to read his eyes.

"Your family is so normal," he blurted out to her.

She chuckled. "Thanks, I guess."

Harry closed his eyes and had a ghost of a smile on his face. "It's...peaceful." Hermione smiled at him.

A minute later, Harry asked her, "You play the piano?"

"Yeah, my parents say I'm pretty good. I don't really know. I can't really compare to anyone else," she replied looking at the piano behind them. Harry said, "I'll be the judge of that. Go on, play."

Hermione bit her bottom lip and then pulled out the stool underneath the piano and sat down. She hovered her fingers over the keys and Harry heard the TV turn off. Obviously, her father wanted to hear her play as well. She inhaled a large gulp of beath and began to play.

The second Harry heard her play, a tear dropped down his face. Sure, he had heard what a piano sounded like before, but he had never heard one in person. He had never watched someone play it before. And beautifully. He thought it was the most beautiful thing he had ever heard in his life. He did not even look at the piano or her hands. He just stared at _her_. Not looking away as she stared forward. Doing this all by memory. Harry lowered himself to sit next to her. Still staring at her in awe. This woman. This beautiful creature was making these lovely sounds come from this instrument. He was sad that not many people could hear it. Did her parents know she was a prodigy? Why would the Death Eaters want to kill her? Had they heard her play this piece of music? He guessed that if they did hear her, they would spare her. But that was highly unlikely as they were cold at heart and probably had never even heard music.

She got to the end of the song and stopped playing. She looked at him and smiled, blushing.

"That was...beautiful," he choked out.

"Thanks," she responded wanting him to stop staring at her.

What both teens missed was Charlotte and Jacob look at each other and give each other a knowing glance. Their daughter was in love.

* * *

They had tea. It was a lovely affair. Jacob and Charlotte asked Harry all sorts of questions about himself, to which he answered honestly. Hermione smiled at her parents and at the fact that they wanted to get to know this boy. This boy she had loved for so long. Hermione felt so wrong for doing this, but she knew that she had wanted her parents to meet the most important person in her life before she made them forget.

After the interrogation and tea, Hermione took Harry's hand and told her parents, "We're going upstairs."

The Grangers nodded, but her mother said, "Keep your door open, dear." Both teenagers nodded and blushed. Hermione led him to her room and kept the door open, but put a silent charm on the doorframe. When the charm was up, Hermione fell to her knees in tears, sobbing, covering her hand with her mouth. Harry watched in anguish at her. He couldn't believe this was happening. It was all his fault. If Hermione wasn't friends with him, then Voldemort wouldn't be going after her and her parents.

Then, he noticed the _Daily Prophet _on her bed. He read the article about the young Muggle family that was killed just to be killed. Then, he knew. He knew why Hermione wanted to wipe out her parents' memories of her. To protect them. He walked over to her and knelt down beside her. Then, he did what he never did before. He put his arms around her and held her like there was no tomorrow. Hermione appreciated the gesture and held onto his arms.

"You can do this, Hermione. I know you can." His kissed the side of her head, like he did before.

She nodded and a few minutes later, she had recomposed herself, ready to wipe every memory of herself from her parents. She stood up confident. She looked down at her best friend and smiled. "Thank you, Harry."

He nodded, smiling back. "No problem."

"Come on, I want to get it over with. Before I lose my courage," she said holding out her hand for him to take. He took it and stood up. Together, the two teens walked down the stairs and found Hermione's parents still sitting on the couch. Harry let go of Hermione's hand and watched her from the doorframe.

Hermione raised her wand just as a tear was rolling down her cheek.

"_Obliviate!_" she whispered. Her parents' heads moved slowly to the side as they forgot about their daughter. Hermione and Harry looked at all of the pictures that had been around the room. They watched as the little girl faded from sight.

* * *

"You did it, Hermione," Harry said as they shut the door and left the house for good. He grabbed her hand again and laced his fingers through hers. He brought her hand to his lips and kissed the back of it. Hermione nodded and moved closer to him. She grabbed his arm and leaned her head on his shoulder.

Glad she had a friend to help her through this.

"So, now where?" he asked.

"I don't know. Grimmauld Place?" Hermione suggested.

"You got it," he replied.

Hermione snuggled up next to him on the Knight Bus, not wanting to let go. She wanted to die here. Holding onto Harry. In his arms as he ran his fingers through her hair. She wished every male was like Harry. Kind. Sweet. Sees the world in a different way. Caring. Charming. Loving. This boy had never known love. His parents had died before he was born. But what he didn't know was that she had been loving him all these years.

He just didn't know it.

TBC...

* * *

**Yeah, To Save a Life is not going to be continued. This is kinda like the continuation. The Torture scene in this one is going to be the same one I was gonna do for that.**

**Anyway, how did everyone like the movie? Wasn't the H/Hr kiss SOOOO SEXXXYYYY? :))))) Smiled thru that whole bit!**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	2. Grimmauld Place

**Thanx for the reviews! Didn't think I'd have that many!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**Yeah, that kiss was hot! Dan was right when he said Emma was an "animal". Haha. :))))**

**And for all the Ron/Hermione interactions, I like literally looked away and scoffed. When she ran to HIM to hug him. What really pissed me off was when Ron came back and was like "I followed my heart", "I heard your voice saying my name. Just a whisper". Shut up! Vomit! :(**

**Anyway, here's chapter 2! I'm gonna try to post as much as I can. This is my Thanksgiving break, but my cousin was just born.**

**Btw, fictional streets (I made them up) in the 1st sentence. Too lazy to look up London street names. Haha.**

**Grimmauld Place**

The Knight Bus pulled up the corner of Northforth and Bakersfield. Of course, Harry and Hermione could not tell Stan Shunpike the real address they wanted to go to. That would blow its cover, as the house was hidden and they were in so much danger. Harry paid Stan and watched the Knight Bus shoot off into the night.

"Come on, we need to hurry. We can't let anyone see us," Harry said taking her hand and leading her in between Numbers Eleven and Thirteen of Grimmauld Place. _'Number Twelve Grimmauld Place is in between Numbers Eleven and Thirteen,'_ Harry thought. Suddenly, another house began to grow in between Number Eleven and Thirteen.

Number Twelve.

Harry opened the door and pulled Hermione in. They shut and locked the door, putting a few charms on the door. Hermione waved her wand a few times, checking to see if anyone else was there.

"We're alone," she concluded silently.

Those two words meant a lot more than just in a dark house.

"I think we should eat something, Harry," Hermione suggested to him.

"Hermione, this house has been abandoned for quite some time now. How are we supposed to get food?" he asked her.

"Okay, please don't say anything about what I'm about to do. I don't care what I believe in. What I care about _right now_ is surviving," she said confusing him. But what she said next, he then got what she meant, "Kreacher!"

A house elf popped in front of her. "Kreacher doesn't normally answer to Mudbloods-"

"Shut up, you! She has as much right to be here as you do, wretch!" Harry cried going after the house elf with a pan, angry that the wretched house elf had called his best friend that. But Hermione grabbed his arm and stopped him, shaking her head.

"Kreacher, please, could you get us some food for us to eat?" she asked sweetly.

"Alright, Kreacher will get food for Master Potter and his Miss," the house elf said and disapparated.

Hermione blushed at his comment about her being "Harry's Miss". Harry turned and looked at her. "You have to be sweet to them. So, now what do we do?" she asked him.

"I'm not sure, Hermione. I'm practically doing this blind. I need to get rid of those Horcruxes. It's the _only_ way to defeat him."

"_We_, Harry. Not '_I_'. _We _need to get rid of those Horcruxes," she corrected him smiling at him. Harry blushed and looked away at her smile. He wasn't worthy of her friendship. No one really was. She just gave it out like it was candy on Halloween. She never asked for anything in return. Just as long as he was straight with her. Came clean. No lies. It was the only thing she wanted from him. Nevertheless, she would always support him.

"Hermione, you have no idea how thankful I am to have you as a friend. What you just did. That takes someone really strong to do. To make your parents forget about you so you can go gallavanting off with a mindless boy. There are no words..." he stopped as he realized that there really were no words.

"It's okay, Harry. You're welcome. And you are not mindless. Just...difficult to get things into your head sometimes." She kissed his forehead and they both chuckled.

* * *

An hour later, they had finished a nice meal of sandwiches that they had thrown together from the lunch meats and bread Kreacher had gotten from the magical market in Diagon Alley. The two friends picked a room-Sirius' old room-and fell asleep together on the bed. It was very awkward. Sleeping together. Even though they were best friends. Hermione knew what she felt for him. Harry was not sure. He wasn't sure how to feel anymore.

But the next morning, they woke up feeling like they had the best sleep ever, despite their compromising position. Harry was lying on his back, while Hermione was sprawled out across his chest. Her face buried in his neck. Harry's arms were wrapped securely around her lithe body. He could feel her warm breath on his neck, giving him the goosebumps and the chills. He didn't know why, but it felt so perfect. So right. So right to hold her. Close to him. Protect her. He would. He would protect her from anything and everything that wanted to harm her.

Hermione stirred and rubbed her face against his shoulder, nuzzling it. She turned her head to look at him. She smiled as she saw he was awake. "'Morning," she said blushing as she realized what position they were in. "Sorry," she apologized scooting away and out of his arms.

"It's okay," he said disappointed, missing the warmth.

Hermione sat up in the bed and looked back down at him. He stared at her, admiring her beauty. No matter how horrible she thought she looked in the morning, she was still gorgeous to him. "I think we should get up and start the day. Let's visit the Burrow and see if Ron wants to join us in our hunt," she suggested.

Harry nodded, agreeing with her.

They both showered and ate egg sandwiches for breakfast. Then, they left Grimmauld Place and went to a dark alleyway so that Hermione could apparate the both of them to the Burrow, where the Weasleys had rebuilt their home. It wasn't the same, but still looked a little cozy. They walked up to the door and knocked. A moment later, the door opened and Mrs. Molly Weasley stood there. "Harry! Hermione! What a surprise! Come in! Come in!" she ushered them in.

"Hello, Mrs. Weasley, good morning," Hermione greeted and Harry nodded politely.

"Good morning, would you like some breakfast?" she asked gesturing to the table full of food.

"Oh, no thank you, we already ate," Harry replied. "We were wondering where Ron was."

"He should be right down," she said going to the stairs and shouting, "RON! Harry and Hermione are here!"

There were footsteps bounding down the stairs as a teenaged boy with flaming-red hair came running down them. "Careful, Ron! We just rebuilt this! Don't need you toppling it over again!" his mother scolded.

"Sorry, Mum," he responded annoyed. He turned to his two friends. "Hey, mate." He hugged Harry and then Hermione.

"Hey, Ron, we need to talk. Privately," Harry said and the three of them went outside. They walked further away from the house, in fear of being heard. Once, they were a good half-mile away, Harry said, "We're going after the Horcruxes. Hermione and I. We just wanted to know if you were with us."

Ron stood there for a moment and then asked, "Where are we to go?"

"I dunno, around. We can't stay in London or any city. Two many people. Death Eaters would recognize us. Truth is, Ron, we have no idea what we are doing."

"Are you with us, Ron?" Hermione asked.

Ron looked back at his home with a sad look and then at his friends. His choice. "I can't leave my family. I'm sorry. Please, forgive me. But I just can't. Look, don't take this the wrong way, Harry, but you don't have a family to look after. I do. And they need me. I really want to, but I can't leave them."

Harry nodded, his expression blank. "That's fine. I wish I could understand, but I'll just let you do what you want. Please, stay safe. It was nice being your friend." He held out his hand for him to shake. Ron shook it and hugged Hermione tightly. "Take care of Harry, Hermione," he said making her blush.

"I will. 'Bye, Ron," she kissed the side of his head briefly. He smiled at her and she smiled back. Then, she grabbed Harry's hand, preparing to apparate.

"End this, Harry," Ron told him. "Free us. And take care of each other. I know you can."

Harry nodded. "Tell your family 'thank you' for us." Ron nodded this time and watched them apparate.

* * *

They arrived back to Grimmauld Place. They would stay there for one more night and then decide where to go from there. Harry sat in the Black Library, poring over the dark family's old books, trying to find more about dark magic and Horcruxes and how to destroy them. Hermione was in her Obsessive Control Disorder-mood and wanted to clean up all of the rooms. Harry actually laughed out loud when he had asked her if she wanted to look at the old books with him and she denied him, telling him she wanted to clean up the house. Hermione would never pass up on books.

"HARRY!" he heard her yell from upstairs. "HARRY!"

Harry went into protective mode. He grabbed his wand and practically flew up the stairs, taking them two at a time. "Hermione!" he called back, looking for her.

"I'm over here!" she cried calling from a room down the hallway. He rushed over to her and sighed with relief when he found her just staring at a door.

"Hermione, don't scare me like that. I thought you were hurt," he told her.

"Sorry," she apologized. "Look what I found." She pointed to the door. He looked at it and dropped his jaw. It was right here. Right in front of his face. "_'Regulus Arcturus Black',_" he read aloud.

"_R.A.B._, from the note in the locket," she smiled.

"Sirius' brother must have been a Death Eater and found a Horcrux and planned to destroy it. _He _replaced it with the fake one. Question is: did he destroy it?" Harry concluded their musings.

Hermione bit her lip, a habit which Harry liked. "Do you think Kreacher would know something?" she asked.

"Let's go ask him." He led the way down the stairs. "Kreacher!" he called.

A _pop!_ was heard and Kreacher appeared right in front of them. "Master called?" he said bitterly. It was clear that Kreacher was pissed off with the fact that Sirius-his previous master-made a half-blood his new master. And his new master was friends with Mudbloods.

"Regulus. Did he ever mention anything about a locket?" Harry asked. But before the house elf could answer, Harry took the fake one out of his pocket. "About this locket?"

"Yes, Master Regulus ordered Kreacher to dispose of it, but Kreacher did whatever he could and could not destroy it. Nasty little bugger it is."

"So, what happened to the real one?"

"He came and took it. Mundungus. Mundungus Fletcher," Kreacher replied.

"Find him for me. Bring him back here," he ordered.

"Yes, Master," Kreacher said and he was gone. Harry turned to Hermione, who was beginning to prepare lunch for the both of them. "Come on, Harry, let's eat."

He nodded and agreed with her and the pair sat down for a nice lunch. Harry had finished almost half of his sandwich when the _Daily Prophet _owl flew in through the window. "Post is late today," Hermione pointed out.

"Yeah," he agreed and paid the owl a sickle as Hermione took the magical newspaper from its talons. She unfolded it as the owl took off. "Oh, my God!" she exclaimed widening her eyes reading the front page.

"What?" he asked.

"The Ministry has been taken over!"

"By who?"

"Death Eaters. Minister Scrimgeour has been killed and replaced with Pius Thicknesse! Ministry is now going to be up everyone's arses now, looking for us. Fuck!" she said. Harry widened his eyes at her curse. She never cursed. Ever!

"Look! _'Harry Potter: Undesirable No. 1'_. And _'Hermione Granger: Undesirable No. 2. Muggle-born'_," she read showing him a portrait of each of them with those same words written above and underneath them.

"We're Britain's Most Wanted. Hermione..." he didn't continue until she looked at him. "...just say the word and back out. I won't mind. These are Death Eaters. They are going to come after Muggles and Muggle-borns. You won't be safe anymore. Go with your parents. Go find them wherever you sent them. You'll be safe there. You can protect them even more."

"Yeah, but...who's going to protect _you_?" she asked with a smirk. It was clear where she stood. She loved her parents. More than anything. But they had each other. Harry...Harry had no one. No one to watch his back. No one to protect him. No one to heal him. Without her, he was completely alone. She was not doing this just for him. She was doing this for all Muggles and Muggle-borns. "Harry, you're going to need to get it through your head: I'm not going anywhere. I'm staying here with you. I'll follow wherever you lead me. We're going to end this. Both of us. Me and you."

Harry nodded and they were interrupted by a loud bang and crashes. They looked up and saw Kreacher and Mundungus Fletcher standing there. Kreacher was on Mundungus' back, obviously he had kidnapped the man. "Kreacher fetched Mundungus Fletcher for you, Master!"

"Let go of me, elf!" Mundungus cried.

"_Expelliarmus!_" Hermione shouted and caught his wand in the air.

"Taken something, haven't you, Mundungus?" Harry taunted the scared man, who widened his eyes as his wand flew into Hermione's hand. "Care to give it back to us?"

"I don't know what you're talking about," he said truthfully.

Harry took the fake Horcrux out of his pocket. "This. You took a replica of this locket from this place, didn't you? Where is it?"

"Errr..." Mundungus closed his eyes to think straight. "...I sold it, I think."

"To who?"

He stared off into space for a moment, trying to remember who exactly he sold it to. "I don't remember her name. She wore lots of pink. Smiled a lot. Perfume was so intoxicating I was about to vomit. Wait..." He stopped himself as he saw the _Daily Prophet_. "...well, that's her right there." He pointed to the woman on the first page. Harry and Hermione had missed that picture. Sure enough, it was someone they both knew and despised. "Yeah, could never forgive that face or smile."

"Umbridge," they both said in unison.

"Thank you, Mundungus. Now, _never_ take something from this house _ever_ again! Do you hear me?" Hermione threatened pointing her wand to his temple. He nodded vigorously, terrified of this teenage girl.

"Erase his mind, Hermione. Then, Kreacher, take him back. I have no more use for him." Hermione nodded and waved her wand, "_Obliviate!_" she said for the second time in two days. "Go, Kreacher! Take him back now!"

Once Mundungus and Kreacher were gone, it was silent once more. Hermione looked at her best friend, who looked back at her. "So, to the Ministry?"

He nodded agreeing. "To the Ministry."

TBC...

* * *

**Well, there's chapter 2! Hope you liked it. Sorry about how I put Ron. Just don't like him!**

**Oh, btw, did anyone notice in the movie Ron saying "Twilight is better" when he and Hermione were arguing over saying "twilight" or "midnight"? THEY JUST DISSED THEIR OWN MOVIE! I like Twilight, but Harry Potter is SO MUCH better! Fa sho!**

**Okay, so I am going to have a dance scene in this one and since Ron is not on the journey, I'm going to make it about something else she's depressed about. And I have the perfect song. Although...it's a song that just came out in 2010. But it's perfect and I've actually become obsessed with it. Haha. I put it on replay on my iPod. I might use it anyway, since I don't know any music that's from 1997.**

**Next: Ministry**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	3. Ministry

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**LeahPotterSnape: Nooo, sadly, not "Just the Way You Are" by Bruno Mars. Even though that's a good song. It's actually "Please Don't Go" by Mike Posner. It's so addicting to listen to! But you know what "O Children" by Nick Cave & the Bad Seeds is the song that is played for the dance in DH. Just looked it up. It was recorded and released in 2004. 7 years after DH. So, I guess "Please Don't Go" is okay to use. But, I still need to look at some other songs. Still quite a while before I get to that part. However, just watched an episode of Glee and they did "Just the Way You Are". So I'm considering it. Haha.**

**Ms-Fleur: I KNOW! It's like "oh, Hedwig just saved my life and died...oh well". Rude region!**

**Danyhg: No, it's cool. I like it but I'm not obsessed with it. Twilight has a good story and all, thats y I like it. But I dont like it bc of Taylor Lautner or RPattz. And thanx for saying im an awesome writer. Made my day!**

**flamingo174: ohhh, never thought of it like that!**

**classicmovielover: yeah, I know Ron doesn't know about the series, but I think they (filmmakers) were winking at "Twilight" or something.**

**badboys8520: I think you just became my new best friend. Haha. Ron/Ginny HATERS UNITE! As for Bill/Fleur's wedding probably not, but they will be known as married. As for Teddy Lupin, for sure! But not until later.**

**DarkHeart81: that was in the movie.**

**trixiemionepotter: yeah, but she gave him that look and Ron obviously understood she was stern and said "twilight is better" agreeing with her and not have her mad at him or something.**

**For all of those who have read my other stories: I'm gonna try to not put children in here. Hehe.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. If I did, this is what it would look like.**

**Anyway, here's chapter 3!**

**Ministry**

Mafalda Hopkirk and Albert Runcorn stepped out of the fireplaces that led to the Atrium at the Ministry. Except the real Mafalda Hopkirk and Albert Runcorn were in a cellar, passed out. Harry Potter and Hermione Granger were Polyjuiced as the two Ministry workers to get to Dolores Umbridge. The Ministry really had changed. There were Ministry officials that stood guard and asked each person that passed for their identification papers to prove they were Purebloods. Some were taken away by officials. Muggle-borns, most likely.

Both Harry and Hermione were let in without checking their papers. Hermione stopped-frozen-at what used to be the Fountain of Magical Brethren. There used to be a gold wizard, witch, centaur, goblin, and house-elf. It was used to show equality between all of these creatures. Now, it was replaced with a monument of a witch and wizard sitting on thrones while naked Muggles; men, women, and children alike; held them up. At the bottom, it read _"Magic is Might"_. "Are those-?" Harry started, but Hermione cut him off.

"-Muggles," Hermione answered for him nodding her head sadly. "In their...rightful place," she said dreadfully.

"Don't ever think that. _Ever_. Muggle-borns and Muggles have just as much right to be here as Pure-Bloods," he said with a smile.

She smiled back. "Come on, before the Polyjuice wears off. And someone thinks we're having an affair." Hermione blushed. She led the way to the elevators and pulled the lever down. The elevator jerked backwards and went down. "How do we find Umbridge?"

The elevator came to a halt, making the two stumble. The door opened and sure enough- "Ah, Mafalda, Albert, there you are! Just the two people I needed. We have a trial down below." The one they were just talking about walked in and turned around, standing in front of them. Harry looked at Hermione. And she looked back at him. _'That was easy'_ he mouthed to her, which she nodded once to.

"Who's on trial, ma'am?" Harry asked trying to sound casual.

"Mary Cattermole. Muggle-born. Stole a wand," she answered as they arrived to their floor. The door opened and the three of them stepped out of the elevator and went into the trial room where a few Ministry officials were waiting. The two friends looked up and saw Dementors about fifty feet above them. They were being held down by a "Albert, stand there," Umbridge said pointing to a spot to the side of the chair in the middle. He walked over to where she pointed and posted himself there. Harry watched Umbridge walk up to the high chair and sit down in it. She looked very comfortable and pompous. Hermione sat uneasily in one of the lower seats. Mafalda Hopkirk was a stenographer apparently for Dolores Umbridge and her troop of Muggle-born haters. Harry didn't know what Albert Runcorn was, but it couldn't be good.

"Bring in the convict," Umbridge said and two Ministry officials walked in with a scared, middle-aged woman. She had dark, almost black hair, and a small frame. She was pale and wondering why she was here. On trial. She had a clean record. She never did anything wrong in her life. Even when she was in school, she never cheated on a test, never back-talked to a teacher or professor. She was an innocent woman. Completely innocent. She was shoved into the interrogation chair in the middle of the court room. The two Ministry officials walked over to the door and each stood on a side, guarding the door.

"Mary Elizabeth Cattermole..."

"Yes...?" she answered nervously.

"You know why you are here?" Umbridge asked.

"No, ma'am."

Umbridge held up a light brown wand. It was about eleven inches long, very fine. Very beautiful. "You know what this is?"

"That's my wand," Mrs. Cattermole replied instantly and without faltering.

"No, it's not yours. Now, could please tell me who the wizard or witch is you stole it from?" Umbridge asked glaring at her, yet it was a sweet glare. Harry and Hermione knew it well. After all, they did have her as a teacher for a _whole _year.

Mrs. Cattermole looked confused. "But I did not take it from anyone. It was given to me when I was eleven at Ollivander's Wand Shop. It chose _me_."

Harry saw Hermione whip her head up and look at Mrs. Cattermole. She could not believe her eyes and ears. She remembered Umbridge saying that Mrs. Cattermole was a Muggle-born, and Umbridge was accusing her of _stealing _a wand that was given to her. She closed her eyes in anguish as she got an image of herself sitting in here accused of stealing her own wand. She opened her eyes and looked at Harry, who looked back at her with a sad smile.

"I think you are lying, Mrs. Cattermole," Umbridge smirked. She paused as she tilted her head at the poor woman. "Your parents were...Muggles, weren't they, Mary?"

"Y-yes, they were," she replied, wondering what that had to do with anything. Suddenly, Mrs. Cattermole caught on to what she was implying. "Wait-you think just because I'm a Muggle-born, I _stole_ my wand? But the wand _chose me_!"

Hermione slightly smiled. She wanted to beam brightly and hug the woman, but that would blow her cover. She was proud of being a Muggle-born and would not give up her wand for anything. _'Except Harry,'_ she thought to herself as she looked at him. She shook her head and focused on the trial.

"Yes, that is what we are saying. Muggle-borns, we think, take things from powerful wizards and witches. It is our blood. Our...race. And Mudbloods...take magic away from us. Like you did, Mary," Umbridge explained.

"Reg, Reg, tell them! Tell them I got my wand from Diagon Alley!" Mrs. Cattermole looked at a red-haired man in the stands. He was about Mary's age, middle-aged; and had a bushy mustache. He stood up and walked over to her and took her hand. He looked angry. Furious even.

"Ah, Reginald Cattermole! I didn't see you sitting there! So glad you could make your wife's trial," Umbridge said with another sickly-sweet smile.

"She told me. She got it from Diagon Alley when she was eleven. She didn't do _anything _wrong." He said that last part quietly. The meaning of it went out to all Muggle-borns. They didn't choose to be like this. They were born into it. They weren't of fault being of this blood. It was just how they were. Harry was about to explode. He was having trouble controlling himself. He slipped his wand out of his sleeve. Umbridge noticed this.

"Albert, what are you doing?" she asked him curiously.

When he didn't answer, she figured he wanted to Stun the Cattermoles, so she told him, "Tell Mrs. Cattermole that she stole this wand! Tell them that Mudbloods are a danger to Pure-Blood society. That they should be punished for stealing from Pure-Bloods. Stealing their magic."

"Sorry, Professor...but I must not tell lies!" he said smirking even though he felt the Polyjuice Potion wearing off. He was referring to his Fifth Year when she was Defense Against the Dark Arts professor and she made him write with a Blood Quill that burned whatever he wrote-which was _"I must not tell lies"_-on the parchment into his hand. He still had a scar from it and it was tingling. Umbridge widened her eyes and Harry shouted, "_Stupefy!_" The old hag fell limp into her chair and Hermione reached up and snatched the locket around her neck. Harry ran over to her and caught her in his arms as she jumped off the big chair. He saw that her Polyjuice was wearing off as well.

He turned to Reginald and Mary Cattermole. "Come with us!" They followed, trusting this young man.

"It's Harry Potter!" a Ministry official shouted. "Release the Dementors!"

Harry pulled Hermione along to the elevators with the Cattermoles right behind them as the Dementors trailed after them. They reached the elevator and Harry opened the door, letting the other three in. He shut the door just as the Dementors got there. Their bony, cold arms reached in through the holes in the door and all of a sudden, the two witches' and two wizards' souls were being sucked out. The Dementor's Kiss! Sucking every good memory they had. "_Expecto Patronum!_" Harry shouted; thinking of when he saved Hermione from the Mountain Troll his First Year at Hogwarts, it was what started his friendship with her; and his stag charged after them. He pulled the lever up and the elevator shot upward.

"Harry Potter?" Reginald Cattermole asked incredulously as they went up, not believing _the Harry Potter _just saved his and his wife's lives.

Harry turned to them. "Long story. Listen, you have to get out of here. The both of you. Get your family and leave England. Go somewhere safe," he advised them. They nodded.

Harry looked at Hermione. She reached up and unpinned her hair. Harry smiled, as she was now fully Hermione Granger again and not Mafalda Hopkirk. "You got it?"

She smiled back and showed the locket to him, making their smiles even wider. He took it from her small hand and put it deep into his pocket. Then he wrapped his arms around her small waist, hugging her. She hugged him back. The elevator stopped and they all got out. "Thank you, Harry Potter. And your girlfriend, as well," Mary Cattermole said thankfully making Harry and Hermione blush.

"Oh, she's not my-" he was cut off when they heard, "It's Harry Potter!"

"Harry Potter?" several voices said and looked their way. Harry's heart jumped and told the Cattermoles, "Remember what I said! Good luck!" He grabbed Hermione's hand and pulled her to the fireplaces. They needed to get out of there!

Suddenly, they heard the new Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, Yaxley. Harry had seen his photo in the _Daily Prophet_. He went after them. "Run!" he told Hermione. However, her high heels were slowing them down a bit. Yaxley was right on their tail. He waved his wand and the gates began to close in front of the fireplaces, preventing anyone from getting in and most certainly from getting out. Each one was getting closer and closer. Finally, they got to an open fireplace and jumped in. Hermione began to apparate to Grimmauld Place, but felt Yaxley take her arm. She knew she couldn't let him see Grimmauld Place, so she apparated to the first place she thought of.

* * *

When Hermione opened her eyes, she saw trees and heard painful moaning. "Ow!" The voice sounded familiar. "Harry!" She sat up quickly and looked around. She saw her best friend lying there on the ground holding his shoulder. Blood was seeping through his fingers. He had taken the black overcoat off. "Hermione!" he called in pain.

"Harry! Oh, my God!" she threw her high heels off and ran over to him. She fell to her knees next to him. "Harry...I'm so sorry!"

He coughed in pain. "Shh, Harry. It's okay. Calm down. Calm down," she tried to soothe him even though she was panicking herself. He had gotten splinched when she chose a different location. She lowered his suspenders, untucked his shirt and ripped it open. Buttons went flying everywhere. She carefully took the hurt arm out of the sleeve. He howled in pain. "Shh, shh, Harry, it's okay. It's okay." Hermione ran her hand through his hair to soothe him. "Hold on." She turned to where she had left her beaded bag and waved her wand. "_Accio!_" the bag flew into her hand. "_Accio essence of dittany!_" she pointed her wand into the bag and a small bottle popped up. She caught it and unstoppered it. It was a dropper, so she hovered it over his arm. "Harry, this is going to sting a little." She squeezed the dropper and it hit the wound.

There was a hissing sound and Harry groaned even louder. Hermione began to cry as he coughed a few times. "Shh, shh." She put more into the dropper and then onto the wound. It hissed again. The wound was healing. "Okay, Harry, one more. One more." She did it for a third time and the wound completely healed. She stoppered the bottle and put it back in the bag. She looked at her best friend and ran her hand through his hair as he panted in pain.

She leaned down and kissed his forehead. "How do you feel?" she asked as she backed away and let him sit up. Harry moved his arm and widened his eyes. "It's fine. It doesn't hurt at all." He looked at her and beamed. "Thank you so much, Hermione."

His best friend smiled back. "I'm so sorry. I was apparating to Grimmauld Place, but Yaxley grabbed me and I knew I could not let him see it, so I apparated here. You must have gotten splinched."

"It's okay. I don't blame you. It's fine. Come on, let's get changed and get rid of this damned thing, eh?" he suggested trying to lighten the mood and she nodded. He reached up and dried her tears with his thumbs.

The two best friends stood up and started to set up camp.

They were going to be on their own for a while.

TBC...

* * *

**Well, there's chapter 3! Hope you liked it!**

**Yeah, I know Ron didn't heal that quickly after he got splinched but I just like to think Harry has stronger skin tissue than Ron. Hehe.**

**If I don't post again before tomorrow: HAPPY THANKSGIVING to ppl of United States and to all others! Btw, guess who's having pumpkin pie tomorrow? ME! Yum!**

**I've been looking through various songs to pick the right one for the dance part. I've got "Please Don't Go" by Mike Posner and "Marry You" & "Just the Way You Are" both by Bruno Mars. Maybe "Smile" by Uncle Kracker. I recently found out that Shrek soundtracks have the most awesomest songs! Haha. So I'm looking into a few of those. I want it to be a love song, unlike what the filmmakers REFUSED to do. Haha. I'm looking for a song that they can dance crazily to and sway to. Anyway, still looking!**

**You know what would be awesome? Thought about this when I watched Glee last nite. If there was a Harry Potter musical fanfic. Kinda like Glee. I mite do that one day. Haha.**

**Oh, btw, did anyone notice that Harry Potter is an allegory of World War II? Think about it...**

**Anyway, next chapter: Locket causes mood problems. Here we go!**

**Pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	4. The Locket

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**DarkHeart81: ...ew, but haha!**

**Danyhg: oh, no! Not that song! Sorry, but we used to listen to that song last year in my theology class EVERY DAY for "prayer time". Haha. It's so aggravating. I liked it the first few times I heard it, but not anymore. You get sick of it. Actually, I was talking about the Shrek 2 soundtrack. Sorry I shouldve been more specific. There's a song called "You're So True". And "As Lovers Go". Rly good songs!**

**So sorry to all the ones that voted for "Broken Halleiujah", but I just RLY HATE that song! No offense to anyone that does like that song. Haha. I think I might do "Marry You" from Glee, but actually by Bruno Mars. Speaking of which, those who watched it, I just watched the performance of that song on youtube again and I never noticed them doing "Crank That Soulja Boy" Haha. That's funny!**

**I just wanna do a small rant about the dance scene in the movie, even tho it was AWESOME! But, okay, Harry did this AWESOME and SWEET thing for her and after the song is over she just becomes depressed again. WTF? Dance with him again, fool! You obviously felt happy dancing with him! Dance with him again! But NO! :( Haha.**

**I wanna give a shout out to my new baby cousin, Eli! Welcome to the world, coz! Hehe.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**The first vision Harry has is going to be different.**

**The Locket**

"_Incendio!_" Harry shouted pointing his wand at the locket that was on a brown, bare log, an hour later. He and Hermione decided to destroy it right then and there after they set up tent and got changed into more comfortable clothes. Clothes they could now run in.

Harry sighed disappointedly as the locket just flew off of the log and bounced once. Twice. And it slid a few inches on the ground. Oh, yes, the locket caught on fire, but it slowly disintegrated into nothing as it found nothing to burn. The locket was as if it was untouched. Not one scratch. Dark magic.

"_Incendio!_" Hermione tried. It moved several feet, caught on fire, and then went out, and they followed it. It was the same result.

"_Expulso!_" Harry shouted.

Nothing.

"_Expulso!_"

Nothing.

_"Incendio!_"

Nothing.

_"Stupefy!"_

Nothing.

"_Expulso! Expulso!_" Harry went mad trying to destroy the fucking little bugger. Kreacher was right when he said he could not destroy it. He continued to shout spells, not giving Hermione the chance. Wanting to get rid of it as soon as possible. It just laid there taunting them.

"Harry! Harry, stop! Stop!" She grabbed his arm and he lowered his wand. "It's no use, Harry. It obviously can not be destroyed with magic. It's dark magic. We'll need to find another way to get rid of it."

Harry nodded, disappointed, and bent down to get the wretched thing from the ground. As they made their way back to the tent, Harry pulled the chain around his neck and tucked the locket inside of his shirt. It felt cool and cold against his skin. Hermione looked at him curiously. "What are you doing?"

"Keeping it safe. If we can not destroy it, we will have to horde it until we can. No one can find it. The bag can be stolen, but we will always have it around our necks. The Cattermoles seeing it was almost too risky. Hopefully, no one used Legilimency on them. I hope they are okay," he explained. Hermione nodded, understanding his explanation.

"You go on inside, Hermione. I'll stay out here and watch," he told her sitting down to the right of the tent flap. But she would not have any of it.

"No, _I _will stay out here and watch. _You _go on inside," she countered. He did not move. Not giving up his seat. He ignored her. "Fine. I guess I will just sit and watch with you," Hermione said plopping down across from him. Stubborn. But loyal. Harry smiled, regardless of her stubborness. "So...where are we?" he asked her looking around at the trees and the woods.

Hermione, too, looked around at the vaguely familiar wood. "Not far from London, actually, but very secluded. People hardly ever come into these woods. I came here once with my parents."

Harry nodded and they were silent again, realizing she did not want to talk about it.

After ten minutes, Harry began to feel it. It was anger. He did not know why. It just happened upon him. "Harry, I'll be right back. Nature calls." Harry watched her stand up and leave him. The minute she was out of earshot and sight, he began to have a vision. Voldemort was torturing Muggles and Muggle-borns. Men. Women. Children. Why did he hate them so much? They did not do anything to him or to anyone. They were just...there. Just living their own lives. Not bothering anyone. His scar began to burn and he moaned in pain.

"Harry? Harry!" he was being shaken awake. He snapped his eyes open and looked at her concerned face. She was sitting down across from him, where she had been before she had left. "Are you okay?"

Now he was really pissed off. Yes, he was angry at the fact that he had just witnessed Voldemort torturing innocent people, but it was like his anger had increased tenfold. He stood up and glared at her. "No, I'm _not_ okay. No, I do not want to talk about. Just leave me alone! Stop hovering over me! You are not my mother!" he yelled down at her and began to walk away.

Hermione closed her eyes in anguish at his words, but she knew he did not mean it. She knew what it was. What was causing him to be like this. "Take it off," she ordered him not turning around until he stopped at her words.

She stood and walked over to him as he took the locket from around his neck. "Feel better?"

Harry was surprised. He did. "Yeah, loads." He felt like a giant weight had been lifted from his shoulders.

Hermione slightly smiled at him. "You need to share the burden." She put the locket around her neck and into her shirt. "We'll take it in turns, okay?" He nodded, not liking this idea, though.

* * *

Harry was not sure if he was going to get used to this. Already, he was getting strange feelings toward his best friend. At sunset the next night, she told him to keep watch while she went to the small creek to bathe. The creek was in plain view of the tent. However, because the sun was behind the creek, he only saw her silhouette. She had curves in all the right places. She really had grown up. Why was he feeling this way? _'She's your best friend, Potter!'_ he growled to himself. _'Stop thinking of her like that! She will think you are a pervert!'_

He blushed beet red when she came walking back to the tent, running a comb through her wet hair. A small bag on her shoulder carried her dirty clothes. "Oh, that felt so good!" she said sighing contently. He nodded, avoiding her eyes, looking everywhere but at her. "I think I'll go make some tea. You want some, Harry?" she asked looking at him getting some tricky knots out of her hair.

"Er, yeah, sure, if you don't mind," he said nervously.

"You okay, Harry?" she asked sensing something wrong with him.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he reassured her nodding and she bought it, walking into the tent to make some tea. It took awhile for Harry to get his heart rate back to normal, as it was beating like it was trying to get out of his chest.

Tea was silent. Harry still could not look at her in the eye. Hermione sat on the steps listening to the Muggle radio she had packed, while Harry sat in a chair. There was a lot of static on the radio, but they finally caught a station that read out names of people that had died in the attacks. Harry found it a little depressing, but Hermione was just scared she would hear any names she knew. She knew how it upset Harry, so she did not have it on for long. Just for about twenty minutes each night.

They were very safe. At least they thought they were until one night.

* * *

It was Hermione's turn to keep watch this time. It was almost midnight, according to her wristwatch. Harry had the locket on this time as he slept. She was just glad the nightmares had stopped. About half an hour ago was the last time he had cried out. She wanted to comfort him, but she realized he probably wanted to be alone. He would only snap at her because of the locket. It was quiet now. Peaceful. All she heard was the crackling of the small fire she had made in front of her. Silence. Except for-

_'What's that?'_ she thought to herself as she heard a twig snap. She whipped her head around toward the noise. She looked back at the tent. _'I'll be right back, Harry'_ she thought to him, knowing he could not hear her, but still did. Deciding to check it out, she stood up and brushed off her bottom for leaves with her hands. Cautiously, she walked toward the end of the wards. Suddenly, Hermione saw something out of the corner of her eye. She looked to her right and gasped slightly.

It was Voldemort's Snatchers! Scabior, the Leader, and Fenrir Greyback, the werewolf that bit Remus Lupin all those years ago. Greyback was holding a limp body in his arms. Obviously, they were dead. Hermione stood perfectly still, not moving an inch. She knew they could not see her because of the wards, but refused to move. Suddenly, Scabior sniffed the air and stopped walking. He sniffed more strongly. Like a bloodhound. "Greyback, you smell that?"

"It's not me!" the werewolf said as if he accused him of something bad and Scabior rolled his eyes. He walked away from Greyback and the body toward Hermione, sniffing the air. Hermione whimpered slightly as he got closer. _'He smells my perfume'_ she thought, scolding herself. _'Should not have put to much on. Great job, Hermione!' _He stopped right in front of her and inhaled deeply. He was less than one inch from her face. Hermione was getting so nervous. She almost started to cry.

"Scabior! Come on! Let's go! They are waiting for us!" Greyback yelled. With one last sniff, Scabior left. Hermione sighed with relief and then almost screamed as she felt someone take her hand. She turned to look at the cuplrit.

"Sorry," Harry gave her an apologetic look. "What's wrong?"

"They could smell my perfume," she said, slightly shaken, as a tear rolled down her cheek. "It almost gave us away." She felt a little guilty for her mishap. She could have put the both of them in danger. All because of too much perfume! This mission was not starting off well.

"It's okay. It's a good thing you knew this spell," he said referring to the safety wards spell. "Just...lighten up on the perfume, okay?" he advised her kissing her on the side of the head. Harry was nicer now, Hermione noticed. _'He must be now self-aware of what the locket can do. He must be fighting to be nice to me. He is very sweet'_ she thought to herself. The best part? He did not blame her.

Hermione nodded and allowed him to lead her back to the tent. "We can not stay here anymore, Hermione. It's not safe." She squeezed his hand, as if to say, _"I know."_ When they got back into the tent, he stood at the entrance while she let go of his hand and walked a little bit more in. When she saw that he was just standing there, she turned around, curious. "We need to leave tomorrow. First thing. After we get something to eat. We'll go on foot for a while. It'll be nice to walk." She nodded once again and said, "As much as I'm nervous about someone finding our tent, I think we both should get some rest."

Harry nodded once. "Are you sure? You can sleep and I can keep watch."

"No, I heard you muttering things earlier. You obviously did not get any sleep. Here, give me the locket. I'll sleep with it now," Hermione held out her hand to him, asking for the Horcrux.

Harry hesitated and reluctantly took it from around his neck. He always hated giving it to her. He was given this assignment. He felt he should carry the burden. Not her. When he took it off, he felt amazing again. But he felt guilty as he watched her put it around her neck.

He moved a step closer and kissed her forehead. A nightly ritual they had. "Goodnight, Hermione."

"Goodnight, Harry. Sleep well." She turned on her heel and went to go change into her pajamas. Harry did, as well.

Opposite sides. That's where they slept. Hermione slept on the right side, while Harry slept on the left. He would stare at her at night sometimes. To get himself to sleep. He could not look away. She was like the best painting in the world. Meant for the whole world to see her beauty.

The locket affected her like it did him. Harry woke up to her moans. "No! No! Get away! Leave him alone! Harry!" she called out to him. Her best friend. Her comforter.

"Hermione..." he whispered back and then jumped out of his bed. He hurried over to her, stumbling in the dark. He had left his glasses by his bed. The young woman was still sleeping, but was tossing back and forth in agony. "No! Harry!"

"I'm here, Hermione. Open your eyes!" he urged her to wake up. He ran a hand through her hair stroking it, trying to get her to open her eyes. "Hermione! Hermione! Please...!" he cried louder, shaking her. Her eyes snapped open and she began to pant. "Harry..."

"I'm here. Don't worry," he reassured, her stroking her face. He was here. He was here for her. He would not leave her. Ever! No matter how much he wanted to. To keep her safe.

"Harry!" Hermione grabbed his arm and pulled him into her bed. "Please, don't leave me! Stay with me." He nodded and got under the covers with her. She crawled into his arms and he rocked her and ran his hands up and down her spine. "Here, give me the locket," he took it from around her neck and put it around his. He felt around on the floor for Hermione's wristwatch. He looked at it and sighed. 3:37 am. They would have to leave in a few hours. "Just sleep, Hermione. Shh."

His best friend calmed down and sighed contently against his chest. She closed her eyes and fell asleep peacefully.

_'Fucking damn locket!'_ Harry thought to himself as he slipped into an deep sleep of nightmares of his horrors. While his best friend slept soundlessly in his arms. He took the burden for her.

He would always save her from torture.

TBC...

* * *

**Well there's chapter 4! Hope you liked it! Was not a lot of angst bc of the locket, but I find it hard to make Harry mad at Hermione. :(**

**They hold hands a lot. :))))))))**

**Going see Harry Potter again 2morrow morning! Yay! My friend and his sister are getting a private movie theatre at the theatre for their bdays and they invited all these ppl to come. Can't wait! That'll be the 3rd time!**

**Anyway, if you did not read the post at the beginning, I think I am settling on "Marry You" by Bruno Mars. Heard on Glee.**

**I have a question for you all. PLEEZ ANSWER! I WANNA KNOW! Okay, hopefully, I don't sound too conceited, but I was wondering why you all like my stories. Bc I used to think I was horrible. I just wanna know bc I've read some better stories than mine. Like RLY AWESOME stories! And I just wanted to know y you all like my writing. PLEEZ ANSWER IT! I wanna get better. It's my dream to be a writer! Hope I do not sound conceited. I have asked this before in a different fic, but I want different ppl's opinions.**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	5. Dance

**Thanx for the reviews! And thanx ya'll for answering the question!**

**LoonyPotter: okay, so I looked on ur profile and saw that Im the best Harmony fan you've ever met. Thanx boo! But...we've never met...Haha. But that's kool! I added u as a fav author, altho I have not read ur stories as i do not know spanish. Haha. But i read A Drought. Very cute!**

**DarkHeart81: In the movie, Scabior smells her.**

**HeyMissKay: Hey, Miss Kay! Had to do that! Haha. Yeah, the kiss is the HOTTEESSTTT thing EVER! Like, I thought it was gonna be short, but it's not. But Im not complaining. Haha. And the dance part was the cutest thing. I want a Harry! When he takes the locket from around her neck, at first i seriously thought he was unbuttoning her shirt. Haha. And its just the way she looks at him when he does it. So romantic. Especially with the fact that no words were said. GO DAVID YATES!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does. I do not own "Under Control", Parachute does.**

**The song is gonna be "Under Control" by Parachute. Great song! One of my favs! It's one of those songs you can dance crazily and slow dance to.**

**Here's chapter 5! The big one!**

**Dance**

_"I never really knew love. But then I met you..."-_Me (wrote that for Harry to Hermione. Kinda bad. And someone might have said it as well and I just don't know. Haha.)

_"You try to help him carry the burden of the world that is on his shoulders. The funny thing is: he's trying to prevent that burden from reaching yours."_-Me (Hermione's quote basically. Kinda explains the last chapter with the locket and him refusing to give it to her.)

Harry and Hermione set off that morning. They faced London and then turned one hundred-eighty degrees and walked forward. They had no idea where they were going. "Where are we going, Harry?" Hermione had asked as they set off.

"I dunno. We'll stop when we get tired," he answered with a small smile. She smiled back. They walked in silence. It was good because now they could think. Both friends contemplated their feelings that had for one another. Harry did not know what he felt for her. He knew he cared about her. A lot. But lately, he was beginning to notice things about her. The way she smiled. The way she walked. The way she talked. The way she ate. The way she breathed. The way she cried. The way she laughed. The way she read books in the most random places. The way she ate. The way she slept. The way her heart beat against his. The way she knew him. It sickened him every night she had the locket. He heard her nightmares. Her screams. Her fears.

Hermione knew she was in love with Harry Potter. She wanted to tell him, but never had the strength. Rejection. That was what she was afraid of. When people of the Light side that did not know him, they saw Harry as a hero. A savior. Their savior. Their hope for liberty. When people of the Dark side saw him, they saw him as an enemy. A threat. Fear. The people that did know him saw him as a young boy who does not know anything. Needs to be protected. Their hope, as well. But Hermione saw him as something entirely different.

What Hermione saw was a young man who grew up without love, and yet, was the most loving person she had ever met. What he did for people was so caring and kind. He was willing to give up his life for someone he did not know. Most boys in his situation would be hiding in a cave in the most secluded place on Earth. No, Harry wanted to stand in front of You-Know-Who and offer himself up so that no one else would feel pain. He had been dealing with pain all his life. He was used to it. He could handle it. Why could he not see that others wanted to take that pain away? Like the locket. She could tell he did not want to give the locket to her when she would say it was her turn. She could tell he wanted to keep her from that pain. From the nightmares. From the horrors. From the terrors. That was why she was in love with her best friend. It showed that people who had never known love were able to love.

The two walked for miles. They came up to a trailer park that had been attacked. Hermione stared at the swingset that had one swing almost ripped off. A tear rolled down her cheek. They did not make it. No one was around. No one was alive. No one survived. Harry thought this place looked familiar. Then, he remembered that this was the place that You-Know-Who tortured those Muggles in his vision. He closed his eyes in anguish. Once again, Harry took his best friend's hand in his, but this time, he threaded his fingers through hers. He had never done this before. The both of them rather liked it. Her small hand somehow fit in his big hand. Hermione put her other hand on his arm, staying close to him. Warmth.

Eventually, they had to run in an old barn as they walked through a small town. They had spotted Snatchers coming to take any Muggle and kill them if they did not obey. They had just jumped out of nowhere. The two tried to keep their heads down low. But they heard screaming and Hermione pulled Harry into the nearest building, which was a barn. They wanted to apparate outside, but Muggles were around. So, they ran into the old barn and Hermione closed her eyes and she apparated the both of them to the Forest of Dean in Gloucestershire.

* * *

Since they had fallen when Hermione had apparated, they landed on the ground, with Hermione on top of Harry. Blushing, she rolled off of him. "Sorry," she muttered.

"It's okay," he replied with a smile, blushing as well. They both sat up and looked around. "Where are we now?"

"Forest of Dean. Came here with my parents once. It was the first thing that came into my mind. We can set up camp here," she answered passively and began to fish for the tent in her beaded bag.

Harry realized she had been doing that a lot lately. Apparating to places she and her parents went to. She missed them, he could tell. He wished he could make her feel better. "Here, Harry, I will take the Horcrux," she said grabbing for it after she had taken the tent out of her bag.

He gave it to her, once again, reluctantly. He watched her put it around her neck and under her shirt. Harry helped her set up the tent and took the first watch. The sun was setting over the horizon an hour later. He could hear the static from the radio Hermione was listening to in the tent. Names were being called read on _Potterwatch_. Random names that meant nothing and yet, everything to him. He could not believe all of these people died. Died for him. Suffered for him. He closed his eyes, trying to drown out the names. He could not bear it anymore.

Suddenly, Harry snapped his eyes open as he heard the static start whirring. Hermione was moving the dial. He wondered if she was sick and tired of listening to it, too. All there was was static and crackling. Nothing else. No other talking. No music. Harry could not believe that the only station that was left called out names of the deceased. But then, there it was. Clear as day. Another station. He could hear Hermione turn the dial and the antennae, trying to get the signal better. Finally, it was perfect. _"We are going through rough times, citizens. But that does not mean love is gone. So for all of you who are in love, this song is for you. This is 'Under Control' by Parachute,"_ the radio disc jockey said. Harry walked into the tent as the song began. It was a sweet tune. He made his way over to a chair by the entrance of the tent and he just stared at Hermione from across the room.

She was sitting on the steps, with the radio right next to her. She stared down at it, swaying with the music. Her knees up to chest and she was resting her head against them, just swaying back and forth. She looked so sad, Harry pointed out. She was in an environment where she had went with her parents. And she had to send them away, with no memory of her. Plus, she was bearing the locket, which made her even more depressed. Harry wanted to cheer her up. So, he made up his mind. He stood up and made his way over to her. She did not notice he was walking to her until he was standing right in front of her with his hand out to her. Hermione looked up and, without hesitation, took his hand, letting him help her to her feet.

The two best friends stood face to face in front of each other. Harry gingerly reached around her neck and unhooked the locket from her neck. Hermione furrowed her brow for a moment when he did not put it on. Instead, he threw it on the bunk bed, not taking his eyes away from hers. Hermione began to feel better as the locket was taken off of her. He took her hands in his and moved them to the middle of the tent. He started to move their arms, dancing, as the words began.

_I turn my head_

_I can't shake the look you gave_

_And I'm good as dead_

_Cause, oh, those eyes are all it takes_

_And all I want is you_

He moved their arms back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Goofily. Trying to get her to dance with him. He smiled brightly, trying to get her to smile back. She did slightly when she realized what he was doing. She just let him move her arms, not really getting into it.

Yet.

_So I pull away_

_All I can do is sit and wait_

_And I might as well_

_Write the words right on my face_

_That all I want is you_

_Oh, is you_

In Fourth Year, for the Yule Ball, Hermione had been hoping Harry would ask her to the dance. But he never did. He was too preoccupied with Cho Chang. Viktor Krum, the Durmstrang and Bulgarian Quidditch Seeker, asked her. Hermione had wanted Harry to at least ask her dance at the Ball, but still he never did. He just sat at his table the whole night. She had caught quite a few glances coming from him. Now, three years later, it was his turn. His turn to dance with her. Three years ago, he had not had the courage to ask her to dance. But now, he did. He had the courage to walk to floor and ask his girl to dance. He was three years _late_. _'Better late than never, eh?'_ she thought to herself.

_Because I've kept my heart under control_

_But lately, all this time has taken its toll_

_Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul_

_Oh, so darling, please forgive me_

_I want you and you'll just have to know_

He moved his arms. Back and forth. Back and forth. Back and forth. Trying to get a response from her. Nothing. She just let him. Not really into it. She had a kind of kind smug on her face. Just letting him move her arms. Stiff. So, he tried harder. Moving her arms more forcefully so that now her whole body was moving as well. She had a slight smile on her face now, making Harry feel like he had accomplished something so far. Ususally, it was Hermione who comforted him when he was sad. Now, he wanted to do the same for her.

_And all my fears creep and crawl across my skin_

_These four walls are after me and moving in_

_And all, all I want to do_

_Oh, is give up, give in, let this one stay where it is_

_But I don't suppose I will_

They were in a time of turmoil. A time where there was really no one they could trust. A time that was on a timer, getting ready to go off. Their time was limited. Soon, it would be time to fight Voldemort. But all Harry could think about was spinning Hermione into his chest. So, he did. Her backside was against his front. Hermione felt his warm breath on the back of her neck. She grinned brightly now. Her smile dictating her sadness and depression. Her she was. She had sent her parents out of the country without any memory of her. And went camping with Harry on a Horcrux Hunt. Now, she was dancing with her best friend to the most romantic song she had ever heard.

_Because I've kept my heart under control_

_(All locked up and under control)_

_But lately, all this time has taken its toll_

_(All this time has taken its toll)_

_Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul_

_(Deep down in my soul)_

_Oh, so darling, please forgive me_

_I want you and you'll just have to know_

Harry twirled her. Spinning her around. Once. Twice. Three times. Hermione laughed out loud, making him laugh with her. Then, she made him the girl. She twirled _him_ around. Once. Twice. Three times. Making _him_ the "girl". They danced to the rhythm of the music. The sweet music that had become both of their favorite songs. Hermione wished she could somehow tell Harry to _really listen _to the song. That it was what she wanted. She wanted him. Only him. She wanted him to want her.

_One of these days, I'm gonna find myself a way_

_I'll find the courage and I'll find the grace_

_Oh, and I'm gonna know just what to say_

_Oh, and you'll walk on up when you want this love_

_Oh, when you've had enough and you've given it up_

Tango! Harry wrapped his right arm around her waist and she wrapped her around his shoulder. He grabbed her right hand in his left and straightened their arms. Their faces were close together. And they began to walk. Doing the tango. They laughed even harder at this. Then, Harry let go of her waist and she let go of his shoulder. He lightly pushed her out and she "bounced" back to him, twirling herself in again against his chest. She twirled out.

_Because I've kept my heart under control_

_(All locked up and under control)_

_But lately, all this time has taken its toll_

_(All this time has taken its toll)_

_Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul_

_(Deep down in my soul)_

_Oh, so darling, please forgive me_

_I want you and you'll just have to know_

They twisted around a few times. Just enjoying dancing with each other. For now, it was just Harry and Hermione. No You-Who-Know. No Weasleys. No Snatchers. No Order. No Ministry. It was just the two of them and no one else. Two best friends dancing. No war. No Horcrux. No limits. Here was just a troubled boy who wanted to make his best friend happy and not depressed. And it had worked. Hermione suddenly came close to him and wrapped her left arm around his neck. Harry grabbed her right hand in his left and wrapped his right arm around her waist. And they just slowed-danced around the middle of the floor of their tent.

_I've kept my heart under control_

_(All locked up and under control)_

_I've kept my heart - oh it's under control_

_Lately, all this time has taken its toll_

_(All this time has taken its toll)_

_Darling, don't you let it go_

_Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul_

_(Deep down in my soul)_

_I said now deep down in my soul_

_It's deep down in my soul_

_Oh, I want you and you'll just have to know_

Hermione rested her head against his shoulder. Her mouth almost buried into it. Harry did the same. Both had bright grins on their faces. Both were loving this moment of being just Harry and Hermione, instead of fugitives and heroes of the Wizarding world. Best friends that were secretly in love with each other.

_I've kept my heart under control_

_(All locked up and under control)_

_It's under control_

_Lately, all this time has taken its toll_

_(All this time has taken its toll)_

_Darling, please don't let it go_

_Said I tried to but I can't hold back what's deep in my soul_

_(Deep down in my soul)_

_Baby, baby, baby, please, baby girl_

The song faded and began to end. The radio disc jockey came back on the radio, but neither Harry nor Hermione heard them. They stopped swaying. Stopped dancing. Hermione pulled her head back and looked at Harry. Looked at him. Right into his green eyes. Emerald met chocolate. Tranced for almost ten seconds until Hermione spoke, "Thanks for the dance, Harry." And she kissed his cheek and went outside for her watch.

And he stood there, watching her walk away, as he realized it for the first time.

He was in love.

He was in love with his best friend.

TBC...

* * *

**Best chapter I've written for this so far, I think! Hoped you liked it! Longest chapter in this story so far! Whoo!**

**The song is "Under Control" by Parachute. I know I was gonna do "Marry You" from Glee. Then I thought about doing a British song, bc well, Harry Potter is British, but I was flipping through all of my songs on my iPod and came across this one. Its a song you can "boogie" (lmao!) to and slow-dance to. I think the whole dance part was really cute. And I think I showed the emotions really well. I found this song on iTunes one time and it was the "free song of the week". And fell in love!**

**There's this website called board of wisdom and they are a quotes site. There's this one that completely explains Harry and Hermione (in DH the movie): "Why do girls run from the ones that make them happy, and fight for the ones that make them cry?"-Unknown. All Ron ever did was make her cry. EVERY single movie! And she still went after him! Yet, in DH, Harry danced with her and she had the biggest grin on her face! And she walked away from him! That girl is NUTS! Haha.**

**Oh! I made up this quote: "Perhaps the ones who fell and want to get up and redeem themselves are better than the ones that never fell at all." I STRONGLY believe in this quote. Sometimes, there are people that screw up and become alone and will do anything to get themselves back together. And then there are people that have never faltered, never done anything wrong. Yes, they are good people, but the ones before notice that they made a mistake and will do anything to fix it. However, this quote does NOT apply to Ron Weasley! He's still a douche for taking Hermione from Harry! Haha. To make him good in _this_ story is by choice.**

**Next chapter: Godric's Hollow**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	6. Godric's Hollow

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**classicmovielover: think about it. Hitler (or as I call him "Shitler" haha.) is Voldemort. It was said (but proven wrong) that he was a half-Jew. Voldemort was a half-blood. Muggle-borns and Muggles represent the Jews. I think the Horcruxes were maybe the different pieces of land the Allies had to defeat. I think the Deathly Hallows was maybe the atomic bomb (Master of death). I have this weird inkling that Xenophilius Lovegood was maybe Albert Einstein. He had wrote to President Roosevelt and encouraged him to make the atomic bomb before Germany did. Mr. Lovegood told Harry about the Deathly Hallows and that anyone who had all three would be the master of death. Voldemort had been destroyed in 1981 ending the 1st Wizarding War (World War 1). He came back into power in 1995 starting the 2nd Wizarding War (World War 2). Snatchers are the Gestapo. Death Eaters are the Nazis. Ministry was taken over, kinda like in Germany and France. There's so much more. I found out on my own. Freaked me out when I realized it! Haha.**

**lemurs399: yeah, I know. I originally had them as contractions, but I was trying to get like 3,000 words. And I was running out of words to say. Haha. yeah, I agree Dan and Emma have MUCH MORE chemistry than Rupert and Emma (and they have like none). haha.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**Anyway, school is starting back up again, but I'll update as much as I can.**

**Here's chapter 6!**

**Godric's Hollow**

The two best friends' dreams filled with each other and dancing as they laid in their beds that night. The next sunset, Harry went outside to talk to Hermione. He had been thinking. He really wanted to visit Godric's Hollow. His first home. However, he was nervous. Wondering if Hermione would let them go. She was the smart one and knew best. He smiled as he found her reading a book under a tree. It was beginning to get cold. He pulled his coat tighter around his body and made his way over to his best friend. He sat next to her on the ground. She looked at him and smiled.

"Hey," he said.

"Hey," she replied closing the book and turning to face him.

"So, I have been thinking..." he started slowly. "...I wanna go to Godric's Hollow." He did not look at her, fearing what she would say.

Hermione sighed. "Harry, that's exactly where he wants you to go. He _expects _you to go there. He knows it means a lot to you."

"I know, but I _want _to go. I am not sure if I am gonna win in this war. I want to visit my first home before I die. Please, 'Mione." He finally looked at her and gave her an almost puppy dog look, making him look adorable and innocent to Hermione. She knew she could not resist him when he did _that_.

"Alright, Harry," she sighed standing up with a slight smile on her face.

Harry stood as well and while she was not looking, he threw his hands up in the air slightly as a victory "YES!". The two of them walked back into the tent to get ready to go. The snow had started to fall.

* * *

Hermione apparated the both of them to the main street of Godric's Hollow village. She was glad that the streets were bare and that no one had seen them. Snow had by now covered the ground. It was falling all around them. Getting stuck in their hair. Clothes. Shoes. There were various Christmas lights on most of the buildings. Twinkling in the night, lighting up the street. Down the street, they heard drunken laughing and a door opening. They looked behind them and saw a man stumbling into the street, laughing hysterically. Then, he went back into the pub it looked like.

"I still think we should have used Polyjuice Potion," Hermione said nervously.

"No, this is where I was born. I'm not returning as someone else," he replied. What he said made absolute sense to her. She could not believe she had suggested that. Of course Harry would want to be himself when he returns to his first home. Harry stuck his hands in his pockets and held out his arm to her. She snaked her arm through his and put her other hand on his arm. They had planned to be a "couple" when they were packing a few minutes before so that it would not look suspicious. It was what both of them wanted, but neither knew that the other wanted it. So they were a "couple" on a stroll down the street. A date.

They began to walk forward and heard singing. They looked to the church, where the noise was coming from. "Harry, I think it's Christmas!" Hermione pointed out. "Listen." Harry listened carefully and sure enough, he could hear carols singinng from the church. They just could not believe that they had lost track of the days that had passed. Harry saw something out of the corner of his eye. He turned his head and saw a cemetary. Gray headstones of various sizes lined up in about ten rows. _'Maybe...'_ he thought to himself. "Hermione, do you think they are in there? Mum and Dad?" he asked her looking at the cemetary.

She followed his gaze and smiled sadly at him. "Yeah," she breathed out. "Yeah, I think they are." She paused before asking him, "Do you want to go look?"

"We came all this way. Can't turn back now," he replied and pulled her with him into the cemetary. "Let's split up. You go over there. I'll look over here," he said pointing to the right side of the cemetary and then to the left. Hermione nodded and let go of his arm. Both of them missing the warmth.

They searched and searched and searched. After a good ten minutes, Hermione had not found Harry's parents. She closed her eyes in anguish at the small tombstone of the infant that only lived a few days. The child had recently died. She could not believe You-Know-Who killed infants. She turned her head to check on Harry. She saw him standing in front of a large, white tombstone. She smiled sadly and walked over to him.

_'James Potter_

_Born 27 March 1960_

_Died 31 October 1981'_

_'Lily Potter_

_Born 30 January 1960_

_Died 31 October 1981'_

_'The last enemy that shall be destroyed is death.'_

Harry sniffed, trying to hold back tears. Here he was. After sixteen years. Back to meet his parents. Six feet away. So close, yet...so far. Did they even know their teenaged son was standing right there? "You know, Hermione, when I was about five years old, I asked the Dursleys where my parents were. They told me they died in a car crash. That my dad had been drunk. They told me my mum was a whore. I was always told they were horrible people. For six years, I believed I was the child of two good-for-nothing drunks. A nobody. No one cared about me. No one ever would. No one ever did. Then, Hagrid told me they had died to protect me. My view on them changed forever. Now, here I am, standing just six feet away from them. From the two people that sacrificed themselves for _me_. It's just...strange. Strange to been standing over two people I have never known, yet loved me all my life. Two people who I used to think never gave a fuck about me. But I was what they loved the most."

By now, Hermione was in tears, listening to Harry's speech. Her tears felt like icicles in the cold. As if they were going to freeze on her face. She wanted to do something for him. So she did. She knelt down in front of the tombstone and waved her wand in a circle. Right there. In front of the tombstone of James and Lily Potter, was Christmas wreath with white roses in it. _'Thank you'_ she thought to the two deceased parents of her best friend. _'Without Harry, I would be nothing. Dead. He is the one I love. I will protect him. I will continue what you started. I will love him. I _do _love him.'_

Harry nodded and gave her a ghost of a smile as she stood up next to him. "Merry Christmas, Hermione," he told her.

She said softly, "Merry Christmas, Harry." She hesitated but rested her head on his shoulder. Immediately, he leaned his head to meet hers. After ten minutes, Hermione suggested, "Do you want to go into the church? Listen to them sing? We can go to your old home after."

Harry nodded and dried his tears. "Yeah, let's go. Get warm for a while." Hermione wrapped her arm around him as they made their way to the door of the church. Harry opened it and, being a gentleman, let his best friend in first. The both of them sighed in relief as it got warmer. They brushed off the snow and looked around. At the front of the church, there was a choir singing Christmas carols. Hermione frowned at the fact that there was no one sitting in the pews to listen to them. It sickened her. She grabbed Harry's hand and led him to a pew in the middle on the right side. Once again, Harry let her go in first and he sat on the end. He wrapped his arm around her shoulders and pulled her into his embrace, wanting the comfort. She placed her hand on his that was resting on her arm, stroking her thumb on the back of his hand. Soothing him as he was deep in thought.

"Hermione...?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you-do you think my parents were married here? In this church?" he asked thoughtfully.

A moment passed and she breathed out, "Yeah. Yeah, I think they did. They would have wanted a small wedding, I'm sure." She didn't want to go too far and make Harry angry. Making him yell at her and tell her she didn't know the first thing about his parents. But Harry just nodded. "Yeah," was all he said. He leaned his head against hers again.

For a half hour, they listened to the Christmas carols. Until at almost ten o'clock, they decided to leave. "Come on, let's go," he said and released his hold on her. The two of them stood up and smiled and nodded to the choir. Then, they left the lovely church, making their way to the Potter house. Hand in hand.

There it was. Harry's first home. The home he could not remember. It was a nice, large cottage that looked very homey. "This is it. This is where he killed them, Hermione. This is where it happened." He looked sadly at the cottage. Hermione gave his hand a gentle, reassuring squeeze.

"Are you with me, Hermione?" he asked not looking at her, but at his first house.

"Of course, Harry. 'Til the end. You know that," she replied, tears creeping from the corners of her eyes.

"I do. I just needed to hear it," he nodded to himself and then led the both of them through the gate and into the house. It was very dark and yet, homey and warm at the same time. Like Harry was meant to live here. There were various pictures around the home. Most of them were of baby Harry. Hermione smiled at them, stroking her finger over the baby Harry's face in the picture. "You were so adorable, Harry," she whispered.

He walked over to her and looked over her shoulder at the picture of himself. "Yeah," he agreed with a smile. They took a look around the home. It was dusty and Hermione _Scourgify_ied everything. The dust disappeared.

They made their way up the stairs and into the master bedroom. "Hermione...?" Harry asked.

She knew that tone. He _really _wanted something. "What is it, Harry?"

"Erm...I know i-it's dangerous, but it _is _Christmas. And...and I was wondering if may-maybe we could stay here tonight? In my old house? Just one night? Please?" he gave her that lopsided grin she fell in love with. It was her one weakness. Her tragic flaw. Her best friend's smile.

She gave a smile back and rolled her eyes. "Alright, but we leave _first thing tomorrow_," she emphasized.

Harry grinned. Hermione was happy she could put it there. He grabbed her shoulders and kissed her cheek. "Thank you, Hermione. You're the best!" His best friend blushed. A moment later, Harry turned and walked out the room. He opened another door that led to a bright room. The walls were yellow and white. A white crib was on the opposite wall. There were three toy trunks on each of the other walls. The carpet was beige and soft. On the wall above the crib was "ABC" in red, blue, and yellow. In that order. "This is it. This is where my journey started." He walked to the middle of the room and looked around. Hermione stayed at the doorframe. Giving him a moment. He closed his eyes. "I somehow remember everything." He could see in his mind how everything was set up.

He walked over to his crib. He seemed desparate. All this time his subconscious had blocked it out of his mind. Now, it was all coming back to him. "I was in here. Mum was putting me to bed. Dad was at the door. Where you're standing, Hermione. Mum was singing me a lullaby. She rocked me. Held me close. I held her against me and looked over her shoulder at Dad. Then that's when we heard it. The iron gate slam shut. Dad immediately sprang into action. He ran to Mum and kissed her. Then he kissed me. He yelled at her to leave. To take me and go...but she wouldn't. As much as she loved me, she loved Dad as well and couldn't leave him. Dad shut the door behind him. We heard the door downstairs blow off its hinges. Dad ran out and tried to fight him. But You-Know-Who was too powerful. Mum knew. She _knew _when Dad had been killed. I knew she knew. She began to cry and held me tighter. She whispered to me that she loved me. That she would never leave me. We heard footsteps. Getting louder and louder. Up the stairs. The nursury door blew off its hinges, as well. Mum had her back to him. Me against her chest. She put me in my cirb and kissed my forehead. She once again told me she loved me. You-Know-Who came up behind her and told her to stand aside. She refused every time. Protecting me.

"I watched him, Hermione. I watched as he said those two words that ended her life. I watched her fall to her death. I remember looking through the bars in my crib as she looked at me with her dead eyes. I remember crying, wondering what was wrong with Mum. Why she wouldn't get up. You-Know-Who stepped forward and pointed his wand at me and repeated those same words. They backfired and he was destroyed. But left me with a mark to remember him by. I passed out from the pain of the scar. And that's all I remember." He finished his speech and turned to look at Hermione.

Tears streaked down her face. "That night, my life ended. And began. My parents died for me." He walked towards her. "They died so I could live. I sometimes wonder why. Why let me live this _horrible, fucking _life I hate so much!" he growled. His face softened as he looked into her eyes. "But then, I see you. And I know. I know why they saved me. It's because there are bad people in this world, Hermione. But there are also good people. Good people like you. Good people that are worth living through the bad stuff for. They saved me because there is something worth living for. Something worth fighting for. And that's you, Hermione. You have always been there for me. And, to me...you're the bravest person I have _ever _had the honor to meet. You've sacrificed your _entire life _for me. And I _will _try and win this war for you." At his last words, Hermione ran into his arms and hugged him tight. Never wanting to let go.

"Harry..." she sobbed and buried her face into his chest. He held her against him, burying his own face in her hair. They held each other for what seemed like years. Finally, Hermione was the one to pull away. "Come on, it's getting late. We should get some sleep." She took his hand and led him out of the nursury and into the master bedroom.

Hermione pulled each of their pajamas out of her beaded bag. They turned around and dressed in front of each other, but yet, not in front of each other. "I'm done," Harry said and sat on the edge of the bed. A moment later, Hermione said, "Me too." He turned to look at her and slightly smiled at her beauty.

Hermione looked at the bed and smirked, shaking her head. "What?" Harry asked pulling the covers and getting under them.

"Nothing," she replied.

"No, tell me," he insisted.

She climbed into the bed nervously. "Nothing...I just can't believe you were conceived in this bed," she said giggling to herself.

Harry caught on to what she was saying and blushed, but joined in with her laughter. "Okay, you should have told me that tomorrow morning. Now I can't get that visual out of my head," he groaned.

"Sorry, Harry."

The two best friends laid on their backs and stared at the ceiling. Harry turned his head to look at her. "You know, Hermione, I think this is the best Christmas I've had so far."

"Because you came to Godric's Hollow?" she asked him.

"No," he replied lacing his fingers through hers under the covers. "Because I spent it with you."

Hermione blushed once again, but smiled. "Me too." She closed her eyes and fell asleep.

Harry took his glasses off and put them on the nightstand. He shut his eyes as well and fell into a deep slumber.

Both of their dreams were filled with each other. And peaced-filled world.

TBC...

* * *

**Well, there was chapter 6. Hope you liked it!**

**Just saw Harry Potter for the 4th time! Whoo! Great!**

**Anyway, better go to bed. School tomorrow!**

**Goodnight, you all.**

**Next: gonna have Tonks and Lupin come in again. Be nice to have more people besides Harry and Hermione for a while.**

**Pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	7. The Lupins

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**Just want to get something straight: the beginning of the last chapter began two months after the previous one. I just realized that the last few chapters were all in "one week". Shit! Haha.**

**LooneyPotter: already seen it on youtube like a jillion times! Haha. Awesome! Illegal, but awesome!**

**my-harmony4ever: I've kinda lost the inspiration for Arranged for now. But I'm NOT abandoning it. Just for now. I'm gonna update it eventually. Sorry.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**Here's chapter 7! Harry and Hermione visit the Lupins.**

_**"And I'll be by your side**_

_**Whenever you call**_

_**In the dead of night**_

_**Whenever you fall**_

_**And please don't fight**_

_**These hands that are holding you**_

_**My hands are holding you"-Tenth Avenue North**_

**Chapter Seven**

**The Lupins**

The next morning, Harry woke up with his front pressed up against his best friend's back. Again. They had been ending up in this position a lot lately. It was just so comfortable for the both of them. He unwrapped his arms from around her and rolled back onto his side of the bed. He sighed, smiling slightly. He always slept well when he slumbered with Hermione. No nightmares. Just nice dreams. Peaceful dreams. He turned his head and saw her stirring. She turned onto her back and opened her eyes groggily. The first thing she saw was his beautiful green eyes. She smiled. "'Morning, Harry."

"'Morning, 'Mione," he replied. "We better get moving."

She nodded, but rolled over to him and rested her head on his chest. She closed her eyes and snuggled close to him, startling him. He heard his best friend sigh contently. "In a moment. It's Christmas," she said.

"It's Boxing Day, actually," he corrected her.

"We missed Christmas. This will be my Christmas present. Let me sleep for five more minutes," she said half-asleep.

Harry wrapped his arms around Hermione's shoulders. Holding her against his chest. Not wanting to let go. He closed his own eyes and fell back to sleep.

* * *

An hour later, Harry opened his eyes once more and groaned. He groaned because he had had the best sleep of his life. Oh, how he missed sleeping in a real bed. However, the warmth he had felt on his chest before was gone. He looked down and noticed Hermione was not there. So, he sat up in the bed and put on his glasses. The world was now more clear than before. The blankets on the side of him were pulled back, showing that someone indeed gotten out of bed.

He got out of the bed and he smiled as he found a pair of fresh clothes on a chair next to the bed. _'Thanks, Hermione'_ he thought to himself. He took his pajamas off and changed into his clean clothes. He waved his wand and the bed made itself back up. As if no one had slept in it. He sighed and looked around his parents' old bedroom one last time before he left. He left the room, closing the door and went downstairs, looking for his best friend. "Hermione?" he called. "Hermione?"

"In here," he heard her from the living room. He followed her voice. She was sitting on the couch, looking at what looked like a large book. He smiled. Typical of her. "Hey," he said coming up behind her.

"Hey," Hermione responded. He looked over her shoulder and saw that she was not looking at a book, but rather, a photo album. "What are you looking at?"

"You," was her simple reply. "And your parents. Sirius. Remus. Wormtail." She said the last name with hate. "Come sit." She patted the seat on the side of her. Harry climbed over the back of the couch and sat next to her. She put the opened part of the album on his lap and flipped it to the beginning. Harry smiled at each picture. The first picture was of his parents on their wedding day. His mother looked so beautiful in her white dress. The next picture was of James and a pregnant Lily. She wasn't that pregnant-about four months. They were in front of their house.

Harry smiled as he saw a picture of himself on the day of his birth. He was held by all of the Maruderers. Each one. Harry frowned when he saw a picture of Wormtail holding him. "Git," he murmured. Hermione smiled solemnly at him. There weren't that many pictures. It was obvious that the photo album had meant to be finished, but its owners died before it could be filled through.

Hermione shut the photo album and put it on the coffee table. Then she leaned her back against the back of the couch and laid her head on her best friend's shoulder. "This is a perfect little house," she said looking around the room. "Maybe we should just stay here, Harry...grow old."

He put his arm around her shoulders and closed his eyes, imagining living here with Hermione for the rest of his life. They would live in peace. A marriage in the same church his parents were married in. By the same old priest that looked like he was about to drop dead. He imagined himself sitting in this exact spot on the couch, holding a pregnant Hermione. He imagined rushing his wife to Godric's Hollow Hospital when she would go into labor. He imagined taking home his little girl. She would have Hermione's brown hair and his emerald-green eyes. He imagined sitting on the arm of the rocking chair in his old nursury with Hermione in the chair rocking their daughter to sleep, humming a lullaby. He imagined making more brothers and sisters for her. He imagined coming home from work with his wife in the kitchen cooking dinner. Their children in the backyard playing in the autumn leaves. This was where he wanted to live. Where he wanted to grow old. With Hermione.

"Sounds perfect, 'Mione," he whispered, kissing her on the top of the head. "But...we would never be able to live in peace with You-Know-Who after us. Come on, we better get going." She nodded and sat up. She grabbed her beaded bag and the two of them went over to the back door. Harry opened it and let Hermione through before going out himself. Hermione led the way toward the woods in the back of the house.

Suddenly, they heard four _pops_. Hermione grabbed Harry's hand when she saw three Snatchers around them. "Hello, beautiful," the one they recognized as Scabior say to Hermione. She gasped and raised her wand, but Scabior snatched it away. "Snatch them!" he shouted. Two Snatchers grabbed Harry and they took his wand away. "No!" he yelled as Hermione was being held by Fenrir Greyback. "Let go of her!" he yelled as their hands were broken apart from each other.

"No!" Hermione cried reaching out for her best friend.

"Well, look who we have here. It's Harry Potter. We've caught him. The Dark Lord will be pleased," he smirked. "And we've got double. Potter's little Mudblood girlfriend." He touched Hermione's cheek and inhaled her smell. Her perfume.

"Get the _fuck _away from her!" Harry shouted strongly.

"Angry little boy here, eh, boys? Let's see if we can make him angrier. Greyback!"

Harry watched as Greyback snarled in Hermione's ear and then reached around to grab her left breast. Hermione gasped in disgust. Harry was furious. The two Snatchers holding him had to strain to hold him back from attacking Hermione. "Leave her alone!" Harry bellowed. "You fucking bastard!"

Scabior nodded to the two Snatchers holding him. Harry doubled over as one of them punched him in the kidneys. He coughed and he heard Hermione cry out, "Stop it!"

"Your boyfriend will get much worse if he doesn't learn to behave himself," Scabior said.

"Leave her alone," Harry repeated darkly.

"Let's see what Mudbloods look like without clothes on," Scabior said. Harry lost it. He ripped out of the two Snatchers' grips. He turned around and punched the two of them, making them fall to the ground in pain. He turned and launched himself at Scabior, grabbing both he and Hermione's wands. He waved his wand and knocked Scabior unconscious. He turned to Greyback. "Let her go, Greyback," he snarled. "_Relashio!_" he shouted. The werewolf immediately let go of Hermione and flew several feet backward. Harry grabbed Hermione around the waist and apparated.

They landed in a wood. Harry lost his balance and fell on top of Hermione. He pinned her to the ground. Their faces mere inches from each other. They could feel each other's breaths warm on their faces. "Are you okay?" he asked her.

She nodded. "Yeah, thank you."

"Harry? Hermione?" they heard. Harry scrambled off of Hermione and stood up. He reached down and helped her up. He looked to whoever spoke. He stared at Remus Lupin pointing a wand at the both of them. "When was the first time I met the both of you...together?"

"On the train going to Hogwarts. You saved us from a Dementor," Harry answered and Remus lowered his wand. "Harry! Hermione! What are you doing here?"

"We just escaped some Snatchers in Godric's Hollow."

"Godric's Hollow? What were you doing there? It's too dangerous for you to go there," he chastised the young teen.

"I'm sorry, but I don't give a damn anymore. I'm not sure if I'll survive this war. I wanted to visit there before I died. It's the place where I was born."

Remus took a moment and thought about what he had said. Then he nodded, understanding. Hermione moved closer to Harry. Cold. He wrapped his arm around her, trying to warm her. "Come inside," Remus invited them in. The two nodded and Harry led Hermione into the small cottage in the woods.

"I didn't know you lived out here, Remus," Harry pointed out as he shut and locked the door with several enchantments.

"Well, werewolves are now illegal, so we moved out here. Away from all of the chaos. I feel horrible, though. For leaving all of those people unprotected," he replied shaking his head, ashamed of himself.

"You would have been arrested. You can't do any good in prison," Harry reasoned.

"Thank you, Harry. Finally, someone knocks some sense into him. I've been trying to reason with him for almost eight months now," they heard a voice coming from the doorframe of the hallway.

"Tonks!" Hermione cried surprised. "You're..."

"Yep, a little one coming in less than a month," she said rubbing her swollen stomach. "Our first guests in eight months! Welcome, Harry, Hermione." Hermione made her way over to her pink-haired friend and hugged her as tight as she could without squishing her stomach. She felt a small nudge on her own stomach. "Oh!" she cried backing away and she looked at Tonks' stomach.

"He likes you, Hermione," Tonks said smiling.

"'He'? You know it's a boy?" Harry asked.

"There are charms for that, Harry."

"Anyway, how did you get caught by the Snatchers?" Remus asked changing the subject.

"We walked out the back door of my parents' house and they popped out of nowhere. We tried to run, but they stopped us. They taunted us. Greyback had Hermione," Harry spat out clinching his fists. Remus looked down at the mention of the person that made him a werewolf. "He...he touched her. Remus, if you want to get revenge on him for what he did to you, you have to stand in line. I won't forgive him for what he did to Hermione."

"Are you okay, Hermione?" Tonks asked concerned.

"Yeah, don't worry, I'm fine." The teenager blushed at how protective Harry was being of her.

"Would you like something to eat?" the bubble-gum pink-haired Auror asked going into the kitchen to pull out some bread and ham from the refridgerator.

Through the Snatcher issue and finding the Lupins, Harry and Hermione realized they had not eaten breakfast.

"If it's not too much trouble," Harry said his stomach growling lightly.

* * *

That night, the Lupins insisted the two of them stay with them for awhile. They immediately declined, but Tonks threatened to hex them. It had been awhile since they had seen anyone other then each other besides for when they would go to a small grocery store once or twice a month. "Please, we have an extra bedroom. Stay with us."

They eventually accepted, wanting to be in the company with someone else other than each other. Remus and Harry went out to find firewood in the forest, while Hermione stayed back with Tonks.

"So, Harry, how has four months with just Hermione been?" Remus asked as they walked through the woods, gathering firewood.

"Well, last month, I found out I was in love with my best friend," he replied smoothly bending down to retrieve a small log of wood.

"What?" Remus asked pausing to look at him. "You've finally figured it out, huh?"

"What?" It was Harry's turn to stare blankly at his parents' old friend. "You knew?"

"Everyone knew, Harry."

"Well, then-why didn't you tell me?" he asked almost shouting.

Remus smiled amused. "We thought you knew!"

"'We'?"

"Yeah, me, Tonks, Mad-Eye, Molly, Ron, Arthur, all of the Weasleys, Kingsley. Hell, even Mundungus saw it for the brief six minutes he saw you two when you kidnapped him," Remus told the shocked teenaged boy.

"Well, that's bloody brilliant," he said sarcastically.

"Have you told her?"

"Hell no! I can't tell her! I don't want to get distracted. I'm supposed to be fighting You-Know-Who. I need to focus."

"Harry, you said so yourself, you don't know if you are going to survive this. You need to tell her before you fight him."

"I know. I know."

* * *

Remus and Tonks had not told them that the guest bedroom had only one bed. One queen-sized bed for Harry and Hermione. They were used to this. But it was still a little awkward because of their feelings for the other.

Hermione could feel the tension radiating off of her best friend as they lay there staring at the dark ceiling. She knew what he was thinking about. "Harry, you don't need to worry about me. I'm fine."

"Hermione...you could've gotten raped. Have you ever thought about that?" he asked her staring straight ahead.

"Yeah, as matter of fact, I have. It's been bothering me all day. But, Harry, you saved my life," she told him turning her body to look at him in the darkness. She could make out his troubled face, but just barely.

"I know, I almost couldn't. They had a good grip on me, Hermione. But what if I couldn't? What if I couldn't get away from them and couldn't stop Greyback? He would've raped you. Right there in front of me!" He managed to stop the tears from falling. He felt fully comforted when Hermione laid her head on his chest and wrapped her arms around him.

"Shh, it's okay, Harry, I'm fine. Just close your eyes and go to sleep. Everything's okay." She closed her eyes as she heard his heartbeat under her ear. _Thump thump thump thump._ A perfect lullaby.

* * *

A few weeks later, a surprise came. Harry and Remus were outside chopping wood when they heard Hermione's desperate cry, "Harry! Remus! Come here! Quick!" Harry's protective instincts took over and he dropped his axe and ran into the cottage, with Remus behind him. "Hermione! What's wrong?" he asked her. He looked around and found her kneeling on the ground holding Tonks' hand who was lying on the floor with liquid around her. She looked to be in pain.

"Dora!" Remus cried running to his wife.

"He's coming, Remus! He's coming. It's time!"

"She's in labor," Hermione said.

"Come on. Let's move her into the bedroom," the almost-father said helping his wife to her feet. Harry hurried over and grabbed her other arm and swung it around his neck. The two men rushed her into the bedroom and onto the bed. Remus sat against the headboard with Tonks inbetween his legs. This was what all of the books said. "Hermione, do you think you could deliver the baby?"

Hermione looked at them and paled. She had watched a few births before on television with her mother and read a few books on it, but she never thought about actually delivering a baby. "Erm...okay," she replied nervously. She waved her wand and Tonks' pants came undone and they slid down her legs. Hermione took them off and looked. The baby's head was crowning. "Just because I'm a girl doesn't mean I know how to do this," she told Remus.

"Please, Hermione," he said and she nodded.

Tonks screamed in pain. Harry walked over to see what Hermione was doing, but Remus grabbed his arm and pulled him away from his wife's private area. "What do you think you're doing? Get away from there!" So Harry stayed on the side of the bed watching Hermione deliver his parents' best friend's son. His surrogate cousin.

"Push, Tonks!" Hermione commanded and Remus grabbed his wife's hands and helped her have a grip on something so that she could push. "Push!" Hermione watched as the baby slipped more and more out of his home that he had for almost nine months. The baby's head was covered in ambiotic fluid. It was purple and pink and blue. She thought it was the most beautiful thing she had ever seen. "Oh, my God! Tonks, how are you doing this? Push, Tonks! Come on! Push! You can do it!"

Tonks pushed more. She had her husband's hands in a death grip. "REMUS, YOU'RE SO DEAD!" Tonks yelled at him.

"Come on, Dora, you can do this," he responded to her bellow.

Tonks pushed really hard and all of a sudden, Harry heard it. The most beautiful sound. A baby's cry. He looked at Hermione's face and she was smiling. "He's here!" She looked at him and said, "Harry could you go and get me a basin, a towel, and a blanket?"

Harry nodded and left the room. Tonks settled back against her husband's chest. Tired. Sweaty. Exhausted. Remus kissed her forehead. Harry came back a moment later and gave Hermione what she wanted. He stared at the child in disbelief. "It's a baby. A beautiful, little baby...and other stuff I'm pretending I don't see." Hermione cut the umbilical cord and said, "_Aquamenti!_" pointing her wand into the basin. It filled with water and she washed the baby in it. His first bath. Then, she took the towel from Harry and dried the baby boy with it and then swaddled him up nice and snug in the blanket. She stood up with Harry's help and brought the child over to his mother, who took him greatfully. "Thank you, Hermione...so much."

Hermione nodded and she grabbed Harry's hand and they left the room, leaving the Lupins alone with their son for awhile. Harry followed Hermione into the bathroom as she went to wash her hands of the blood and ambiotic fluid. "Hermione, that was...amazing," he said with disbelief.

She smiled, blushing. "Thank you, Harry. I was terrified the whole time."

"Well, you were brilliant." He kissed her on her forehead. Hermione closed her eyes at the touch of his lips. Then he gathered her in his arms. "A beautiful thing has happened today in a time of darkness."

"Yeah..." she replied inhaling Harry's sweet scent. They just held each other for what felt like hours.

"Harry! Hermione!" they heard Remus call from the bedroom. Taking Harry's hand, Hermione led them back into the bedroom. Tonks was breastfeeding for the first time, but her breast was covered with a blanket.

"We would like to ask you two if you would like to be Teddy Remus Lupin's godparents," Remus asked them with a smile.

A tear rolled down Hermione's cheek. She could not believe it. She was being asked to be a godmother! She never thought this would happen! Not in a million years! "W-what? Me?"

"Of course, we trust you with our lives and Teddy's life."

"Thank you," both teenagers said grinning.

A few minutes later, the newborn baby finished his first meal and Tonks asked, "Would you like to hold him?"

Hermione nodded and walked over to her friend and held out her arms. Tonks gently placed her son in his godmother's arms. She held him tightly. Not letting him go. The baby's eyes tried to open and look at his godmother, but couldn't. No matter how hard he tried.

Harry let a tear roll down his cheek as he saw his best friend hold their godson. She looked amazing holding a baby. Natural. It was like she was fit to be a mother. He wondered if she would be holding their son or daughter like that one day. Then he blushed.

"Harry...?" he was snapped out of his thoughts.

"Y-y-yeah?"

"Would you like to hold your godson?" Hermione asked.

"Yeah, yeah, I would," he responded walking over to her. He had never held a baby before in his life, so Hermione helped him hold him. She cradled his head, while Harry took the rest of his body. _'You were born in a time of darkness, Teddy, but you were the light that shined throughout it'_ he though to his godson with a smile as Teddy fell asleep in his arms.

TBC...

* * *

**Well, there's chapter 7! I know I said no children, but I couldn't help it! Hehe! I've gotten all of my school projects done. And I'm going on a Caribbean cruise next week, so I don't have 2 take my 2nd half of midterms til i get back. Yay!**

**Anyway, hope you liked this chapter!**

**Next chapter: finding of Gryffindor's sword and destruction of locket.**

**By the way, if you haven't check out the song at the beginning. "By Your Side" by Tenth Avenue North. One of my personal favs! :)**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	8. Fear

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**Nymphadora Potter: well, we have to get this paper signed by our teachers that says that we are excused from missing those days.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**Well, Christmas is coming! Yay!**

**So, I just saw Burlesque with Christina Aguilera and Cher and it was AWESOME! :) Christina can SING! I wanna do a Harry Potter version of Burlesque. Hermione as Christina. Harry as Cam Gigandet. Should be interesting. Hmm...maybe. This author on portkey DOT org wrote this one fanfic (think they took it off) about an AU Harry Potter verse. Harry, Lily, and Hermione lived in the slums and Harry wanted to be a songwriter/musician and Hermione wanted to go to college and she gets a job at a strip club and Harry doesn't know about it. I may want to write something like this. Maybe. Need to think of a plot...**

**I'm back from my cruise. It was awesome! Best thing? Free ice cream 24/7. However, I was eating a lot so I would get the frozen yogurt so I would feel good about myself. Haha. Need to get some pounds off of me. Hehe. And if y'all ever get the chance, go to Atlantis in the Bahamas! It's awesome! The Mayan Temple and the Power Tower are the best. They have slides on them. The Power Tower has one called the Abyss and it goes down 89 feet vertically. Such a rush!**

**Last thing before I start this: I was thinking about this after I saw it the first time. Why didn't Harry use a Heating Charm on the frozen lake when he went get the sword? Dummy!**

**Anyway, this chapter is going to be the finding of Gryffindor's sword. This should be a very powerful chapter. Lots of angst and crying.**

**Here's chapter 8!**

**Fear**

A few weeks later, they were back to sleeping in the tent. They went back to the Forest of Dean. Harry sat outside in the heavy snow and kept watch while Hermione snoozed in the tent. Warm. Safe. He had the locket around his neck. It anguished him with every breath he took. He couldn't wait to get rid of it. He was tired of carrying the burden, but he knew he didn't want to make Hermione wear it. He looked at his watch. 2:33 am. Hermione was supposed to take over two hours ago. She had fallen asleep. Harry didn't mind keeping watch. He knew he wouldn't want her out here by herself. He would do anything to protect her. He fought his eyes from drooping shut. The sound of the crickets soothed his ears and mind. Another lullaby.

_'Just five minutes' _he thought to himself as his eyes began to close.

He gasped and snapped them open.

He must stay awake. He _must_! He occupied his mind with thoughts of Hermione. How beautiful she looked holding their godson. How perfect her hand fit in his. How wonderful it was to wake up next to her in bed. How he loved to hold her small, lithe body against his. Feel her warmth on his chest. Warming his heart. She was the rise and set of the sun. Harry remembered what Remus said about telling her how he felt before he fought You-Know-Who. However, he didn't want to get his hopes up and then he would die, ending their small, short-lived relationship.

Suddenly, out of nowhere, he saw a glowing, white light about a hundred feet in front of him. It got brighter and brighter. Soon, it formed into what looked like a silver doe. A Patronus. But whose was it? It looked at him and turned, walking away. Wanting him to follow it. He turned to look at the tent. Should he tell Hermione he was going? No, she'll just stop him. _'I'll be right back, Hermione'_ he thought to her even when he knew she wouldn't reply. He faced the doe and followed it through the forest. Why was he doing this? Why was he risking death? _'Sometimes, I just have to trust myself' _he thought to himself answering these questions. His gut feeling told him to trust this silver doe. Therefore, he would trust himself.

The doe led him deeper and deeper into the forest. After five minutes, he wondered if Hermione had noticed he was gone yet. Then, the silver doe led him to a clearing with a frozen lake. Why would it be leading him here? The doe went to the middle of the lake and hovered over it. Then it disappeared into the frozen lake. "_Lumos_," he whispered and his wand lit up. He cautiously stepped onto the frozen ice. It didn't crack under his weight, but he heard the crunching of the snow under his shoe. He walked slowly across the frozen lake to where the silver doe disappeared into. He bent down and moved some snow from the ice. That's when he saw it. The reason why this Patronus led him here. Gryffindor's sword lay there. Glinting at him. At the bottom of the lake.

He nodded to himself. He had to do this. He had to get the sword. It was the one thing he needed to destroy the locket and all of the other Horcruxes. He walked over to a large log and started to strip his clothes from his body. His sweater. His shirt. His jeans. His shoes. His socks. Even his glasses. He didn't want them to fall off. He kept on his boxer briefs. His only form of warmth at that moment. He walked back over to the middle of the lake. The cold nipped at his feet and face. He began to shake, but he knew it would be worth it. "_Diffindo!_" he said waving his wand over the spot. The ice disappeared, but only enough to make a hole for him to fit in. He inhaled deeply, gathering in a large gulp of air and then lowered himself into the water.

The freezing water hit him like a ton of bricks and he wanted to cry out, but he couldn't open his mouth. Instead, he focused on Gryffindor's sword. He looked down and there it was. Still glinting. Taunting him. He moved his arms and legs, swimming over to it. He got closer and closer. But then, when he was reaching out to get it, the locket sensed it. It sensed that there was something around it that could destroy it. It began to act mad. It began to choke him. Harry moved his arms frantically up to the surface. But the ice had frozen over the hole he had made. His heart jumped. He was trapped. This was it. This was how he was to die.

* * *

Hermione flinched awake. Her eyes snapping open. Her heart jumped. Something was wrong. She sat up in her cot and looked at her watch. Two minutes until three in the morning. She was supposed to take the next watch almost three hours ago. _'Harry probably fell asleep'_ she thought and silently chastised herself for falling asleep as well. She put her boots on and grabbed her grey coat, slipping her arms through the sleeves. She grabbed her wand and walked out of the tent.

Only to find her best friend nowhere in sight. "Harry?" she called out quietly thinking he may have had to go relieve himself. She stepped out a few more feet from the tent. "Harry?" He wouldn't go far. She knew that. She knew he wouldn't go out of the safe territory. Outside of the wards she had pulled up. She looked down at the ground and saw them. His footprints. She smiled a bit, knowing she had a trace of him.

So Hermione followed his "bread crumbs". Through the forest to a small clearing with a frozen lake. However, there was one part in the middle of the lake that was a little bit clear. Someone had been here just recently and moved the snow. She looked to her right and on a log, she noticed familiar clothes. She walked over to them and touched the grey sweater. She gasped and whipped her head to the hole in the middle of the lake.

"_Harry!_" she hissed. Quickly, yet gently, she walked onto the lake towards the middle of it. She knelt down and tried to look for her best friend. She saw a figure falling slowly towards the bottom in the water. "Harry!" The ice had frozen over again and he was trapped under it. She pointed her wand at the ice and said, "_Diffindo!_" The hole reopened and she jumped in. The water was freezing, but she didn't care. She needed to save Harry! Hermione went to get the sword first and then caught Harry right before he hit the bottom. He was pretty heavy, but her strength came from her adrenaline and she managed to heave him onto the ice out of the water. He spluttered and coughed up water. "Harry!" she called out to him again panting.

"I had to get it, Hermione. I had to," was all he said as he panted heavily. Hermione watched the water glisten on his body, soaking through his skin. She waved her wand and dried herself and then him. He smiled, gratefully, and they both stood up. Hermione watched him put his clothes back on. When he was finished, he turned to her and stared at her for a moment. She had saved his life once again. He smiled and walked over to her, initiating a hug. He buried his face in her hair. "Thank you, Hermione."

"No problem, Harry." She kissed the side of his neck. "Let's get rid of this damned thing, yeah?" she suggested pulling back and looking at the locket around his neck. He nodded and pulled it off.

"I'll get rid of it," he said. "I'll use parseltongue to open it and I'll stab it. You better stand back. Whatever is in here will put up a fight." Hermione nodded and moved several feet away by a tree.

Harry placed the locket on a tree stump. He backed up a bit and whispered, "_Open_" in parseltongue. There was a loud _boom_ as it opened and a giant, black mist erupted from it, clouding all around them. Hermione's eyes widened. "_I have seen your heart, Harry Potter, and it is mine_," came a snake-like voice. You-Know-Who. "_Raised from a family that hated you. No love from them. Loved by no one. No reason to live anymore. Unloved by the one you love._"

Suddenly, like the silver doe, a white mist appeared from the black cloud. However, this mist formed the shape of Hermione. "_Who could ever love you, Harry Potter? You're leading me to my death. This is all your fault, Potter. I had to send my parents away because of you. Because you won't give yourself up. All of the lives that were taken we hear on the radio are because of you._"

Each word grabbed his heart and clinched it tightly, trying to squeeze the life out of it. He figured he could be able to hear these words from Remus, Tonks, even Ron. But not Hermione. Not from Hermione. "No!" he said.

"Harry! Don't listen to it!" he heard the real Hermione call to him.

"_This whole war is because of you, Harry Potter. People are dying because we are hiding out here like cowards. I should have just left when I had the chance. Besides, there's no reason to run when we are going to get caught. Just let it go, Harry Potter. Give yourself up. Stupid, pathetic excuse for a human anyway. No one will ever love you._"

"NO!" he shouted. He jumped up and ran over to the locket. He raised the sword high over his head and plunged it deep into the locket. There was a loud scream. Almost inhuman. The black smoke exploded and the locket was destroyed.

Harry panted and fell to the ground. Tears prickled in his eyes. He felt Hermione run up to him and throw her arms around him. "Harry!" She was crying. She grabbed the destroyed locket and him and then apparated back to their camp. They both landed next to the fire. It was then that Harry let his tears fall as Hermione held him. He realized something.

"It was right. The locket was right," he said aloud. Hermione pulled back from him to look at him face.

"What do you mean?"

"I've been feeling like this for awhile," he said avoiding her eyes. Hermione let him, hoping it would help him think. "I've lost the will to go on. I have been feeling like there's no reason to go on with this. I've given up. Yes, we just destroyed a Horcrux, but that took nearly five months. I might be dead before we find them all and destroy them. I know I said that I have reasons to go on, but I also have reasons not to. I want to win this war for you. I do! But I don't know if I can." He whimpered. Like a lost child. And he hugged his legs to his chest. "I'm scared, Hermione," he squeaked out. "I'm scared of what will happen if I die. What will happen to Ron. To Remus. To Tonks. To Teddy. The Weasleys...to you. I'm scared of leaving this world to destruction and death and darkness. I'm scared of losing the last ounce of hope and love I have left in my heart. I'm scared of what would happen to you. If I should die, I want nothing more than to know if you would be okay. If you would be happy."

"I wouldn't, Harry," she whispered.

"You don't know that," he retorted.

"No, I do. Because you wouldn't be with me," she replied. "But listen, Harry, it's okay to be scared. It's okay to feel fear. It's what makes us human. Every human has a weakness. Yours seems to be fear. But that's okay. It's okay to be frightened. Because that is when courage reveals itself. _Fear _gives you the courage to stand up. Fear gives you strength to fight. Fear of something happening to Remus, to Tonks, to Ron, to the Weaselys...to me. It is that fear that gives you the strength to protect us so that fear does not reach us. And we love you for it. And we will never stop." She leaned in and kissed his forehead.

A teardrop latched onto his forehead, traveled down his nose, mixed with one of his own and landed on his lips. He tasted the salty bitterness of the tears. His fear. His cowardly fear may be what he needs to stop You-Know-Who. It would be that fear of something horrible happening to his loved ones.

And the _only _one he loved with his whole heart.

TBC...

* * *

**Well, there's chapter 8! Hope you liked. The wanting to give up is an idea I got from reading "Will Loss and Recovery" by Katarrael32. Go check that story out. It's awesome!**

**I find this chapter not as good as the rest. I don't know. What do y'all think? Lately, I've been thinking that in every chapter I write, Harry learns a new lesson about life. Basically, everything he learns is how _I _see life. I want to do something amazing. I want to leave my mark on the world. I also try to see life differently. I think the secret of life is love. Everyone has a purpose in life. Every person affects at least one other individual in their life. Like Harry, you may find that there is one person that is the reason you are alive. Sometimes, there are people you affect that you may never know you affected them. You will be the reason they are the person they are today. Isn't that amazing? Life is about taking care of your surroundings. Taking care of others. Loving them. Life is about loving with everything you have and hoping that when you die, you've done a pretty good job doing something that was worthwhile in your life. To at least one person. Because the worst thing that can ever happen to you is to be forgotten.**

**Okay, enough rambling. Got too emotional. Haha. Anyway, I hope y'all had a good xmas. I guess I did. I don't know. Haha.**

**I got midterm make-ups next week. So I gotta start studying soon. Ugh! Vomit!**

**Oh, by the way, one book I recommend y'all reading is "The Pillars of the Earth" by Ken Follett. I'm currently reading it right now. It's 973 pages. Haha. I'm on pg 300. I've been reading it since August, but I've been off and on. It's amazing. I got a gift card to Best Buy for xmas and I'm about to go get the 8-part mini-series that starz made of it. It's sooo good!**

**Anyway, pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	9. Dreams

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**I'm not exactly sure how I'm going to put the actual Deathly Hallows in here. Haha. I am going to make this 2 stories since the movies are in 2 films. So, this one is almost over. :(**

**I might introduce the Deathly Hallows in the next story. I might change up the order of events because I want the Torture scene in Malfoy Manor in this one.**

**Here's chapter 9! Got the idea from the Pillars of the Earth by Ken Follett interestingly enough. This chapter will be rated M.**

**"It's quite amazing to think that the same people that are in your dreams are in your nightmares, as well."-Unknown**

**"Sometimes I wonder if love is worth fighting for, but then I remember your face and I'm ready for war."-Unknown**

**Dreams**

The snow had started to melt and spring was beginning to come. Harry jerked awake. His eyes snapped open and flinched awake. "No!" he hissed quietly as to not wake Hermione. He had gotten to be really good at that. Not shouting in his sleep. He looked to his right at Hermione's cot. She was still asleep. A small smile was planted on her face. _'What is she dreaming about?'_ he asked himself. He hadn't had a good dream for awhile. Since he and Hermione shared a bed at the Lupins' house. For a couple of months now, all he has had were nightmares. Nightmares of screaming and dying. Nightmares of anguish and terror.

Hermione stirred awake as well. She opened her eyes and found Harry looking at her. He looked so tired. Hermione knew. She knew. She could hear him every night. He would whisper sometimes so that she would not wake. But she always heard him. She had hoped that they would stop once the locket was destroyed, but they didn't. It hurt her to see her best friend suffer like that. She wanted to hold him tightly and never let go. "'Morning," she said.

"'Morning," he replied.

"Did you sleep well?" she asked already knowing the answer.

"Not really," he replied sitting up with a groan. He pulled back his blankets and swung his legs over the edge of the bed.

"Nightmares?"

He didn't answer for a few seconds. He just stared at the floor, finding it suddenly interesting. "Yes."

"Do you want to talk about them?" she asked that familiar question. It was _her_ question, since she asked it a lot.

"No," he whispered without looking at her and he stood up. He put his boots on that were by the tent and grabbed his coat, and then walked outside to get some air. Hermione's eyes followed him as he moved out of the tent. His words cut her deep. Something was eating at him. _'Something's always eating at him.'_ She wanted to help him, but he wouldn't open up to her. A tear rolled down her cheek as she laid back down in her bed, hurt.

* * *

They were getting worse. His nightmares. Every night he would dream the same thing. The same dreadful thing. And it frightened him to the core. He wanted to get it off his chest. He really did. He wanted to tell her. But he didn't want her to know that he dreamt about her every night. His nightmares were always about the Final Battle. _You-Know-Who would kill everyone that was important to him while Lucius Malfoy and Antonin Dolohov held him back. He watched Neville. Dean. Seamus. The Weaselys. Remus. Tonks. Teddy. Hermione's parents. He would watch all of them die. You-Know-Who would always "save the best for last". Scabior would bring Hermione out last. She was rugged and dirty. Bruised and bloody. Her clothes were in tatters. Harry would struggle and struggle against his holders, but they would only tighten their grip. "Hermione!" he would cry out._

_"I've saved the best for last, Harry Potter," You-Know-Who would say. "Harry Potter's heart." Then he would wave his wand use the Torture Curse on her several times. She would scream at the top of her lungs as the pain rippled through her. When she looked almost dead, You-Know-Who would wave his wand once again and shout, "_Avada Kedavra_!" and Hermione's life would end. A single teardrop would roll down her cheek as Scabior let her fall to the ground. That's when he would jerk awake._

He looked around at the forest. He knew. You-Know-Who knew. He knew that Harry was in love with Hermione. He must have known what the Horcrux would show him. You-Know-Who would be after her now. Hermione would be in more danger. All You-Know-Who wanted to do, besides killing him and taking over the world, was make him weak. Harming and killing the ones he was close to. Now You-Know-Who knew who was the closest to him. Closest to his heart. Hermione had told him that it's the thought of his friends being hurt that would give him the strength to defeat him.

But would it be enough?

Would the thought of his friends dying be enough to take You-Know-Who down?

He doubted it as he reviewed his nightmare. He had struggled and struggled against his holders, but he could never break free. He couldn't even save Hermione. The one he loved with all of his heart, soul, and mind.

He was scared in the nightmare. Terrified. It had not been enough to save his friends.

* * *

"Let's go, Hermione. I think we should move," he said about twenty minutes later when he re-entered the tent. She was in the process of making her bed. She had already changed into a fresh set of clothes. She wore an off white shirt under a purple and black plaid, button-down one (however, the shirt was unbuttoned). Her black jeans clung to her tightly and they were tucked into her brown boots. And her blue, red, and green plaid scarf hung around her neck.

She turned her head to look at him when he spoke up. She nodded. "I think you're right, Harry. We've destroyed the Horcrux here. You-Know-Who might know where we are. Where should we go?" she asked.

"I dunno. Somewhere safe," he replied taking off his coat and t-shirt, putting a fresh set of clothes on, taking advantage of the fact that Hermione was turned around. Then, he put his pajamas in his rucksack Hermione charmed to be bottomless. Then, he proceeded to make his bed.

Hermione suggested, "How about the Swinley Forest? It's pretty big. It's still somewhat cold, so no one would be walking or bike-riding. It's pretty safe."

Harry nodded. "Okay," he agreed. He felt horrible and guilty for being short with her earlier. He had hoped he didn't hurt her that bad. He turned around when his bed was finished and looked at her as she faced him. His breath caught in his throat as he saw her tear-stained face. He _did_ hurt her bad. _'Great job, bastard. You made your best friend cry'_ he chastised himself.

"Come on, let's take the tent down and move," she said grabbing her bag and left the tent. Harry inhaled deeply and let it out heavily before following her out of the tent.

* * *

Swinley Forest was very beautiful according to Harry. Hermione had picked a lovely clearing that looked like no one had even stepped foot onto it. Harry put up the Anti-Detection charms, while she took the tent out of her bag and set it up once again. They ate breakfast-a few chicken eggs Harry had swiped from a farm a few days before. He had put a Glamour Charm on himself and left Hermione for a few minutes. He had apparated to a small farm in the middle of nowhere and stole several chicken eggs from the farm's coup. Hermione was furious, but relieved that there was food.

That night, they listened to _Potterwatch _on the radio. More and more names were called out. A few they knew from Hogwarts. None they were close to, however. Thunder rumbled, shaking the tent's canvas, and lightning lit up the sky. Harry was sitting in a chair, while Hermione was kneeling down behind him cutting his hair, as it was getting rather long. Harry felt shivers go down his spine and goosebumps appear on his arms when her light, delicate fingers would brush against the back of his neck. He shut his eyes, concentrating on her fingers. Relaxing. Hermione blew a big puff of air on his neck, brushing the already-cut hairs off of it.

It had been quiet between the both of them since this morning. There was an awkward tension between them. When Harry would look at her, he would catch her gazing at him and she would immediately look away and busy herself with something else. "I'm sorry, Hermione," he said finally.

She paused for a moment. "For what?" she asked continuing to cut his hair.

"This morning. For not telling you my nightmare."

"Harry, you said you didn't want to talk about them. We won't talk about them. It's fine. I won't force you," she replied truthfully. She brushed off the last bit of hair on his neck and put the scissors on the small table. Harry stood up and Hermione followed suit. The former walked over to the entrance flap that was open a bit and gazed out at the storm that was roaring outside.

"There are just some elements in my nightmare-" He cut himself off. Hermione wanted to question him about it, but held her tongue. "I want to tell you. I want to get it off of my chest. But I think I should just keep this to myself, Hermione." He paused for a moment before continuing. "I'm truly sorry. Can you forgive me?"

"Of course, Harry. But you know...I'm _always _here if you want to talk," she told him walking towards him. He turned around at the sound of her voice. She pressed her body against his and brought her face to his. He closed his eyes with content and his heart jumped when he felt her nose nudge his, sealing her promise that she would always be there for him. She pressed her lips to his chin and kissed it very lightly. Just there. Right under his lips. It was almost too light to even be considered a kiss. _Almost_.

Harry raised the corners of his mouth in a slight smile and he opened his eyes. Hermione smiled back and turned away to clean up her makeshift mini-barber shop. "I'm going outside for a moment," Harry said wanting more air.

She looked at him. "Harry, it's pouring rain outside," she said to him incredulously.

"I know," was his reply and he left. He didn't put his coat on. He was out there in just his t-shirt, jeans, and boots. This girl was a vixen! What did she think she was doing? Seducing him like that. She made him mad. Crazy. Lustful. The rain poured down onto him. Soaking through his t-shirt. Making his hair stick to his head. Flattening it. Doing the impossible as his hair was usually very messy and all over the place.

"Harry!" He whipped around as a crash of thunder followed by a flash of lightning. Hermione stood at the entrance to the tent. "Get your arse back in here!"

He shook his head. "No! Just give me a moment! Please..."

Hermione nodded. "Hurry! I don't want you getting sick!" She shut the tent flap, leaving Harry to his musings.

He didn't know if he could control himself around her anymore. He wanted nothing more that to show that he loved her, but he couldn't. "It's too risky..." he whispered to himself. He stayed outside for another few moments, composing himself. Feeling the cold rain on his skin. It felt so good. Cleansing him of his sorrows before going back inside. He was soaked to the bone.

"You stupid arse, Harry Potter!" Hermione practically attacked him when he reentered the tent. She grabbed his soaked t-shirt and pulled it over his head. She grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his arms and rubbed them. She waved her wand again a few times, drying him off. She went over to his trunk and pulled out some pajamas. "Here, change into these warm clothes. You'll feel better." She shoved his garments into his hands and turned around letting him change. Harry swore he heard her whisper, "Mad."

"Now, _why _would you do something like that, Harry? It's freezing cold outside. The rain only makes it worse. Are you _trying _to get killed?" she asked him rummaging in her bag for something.

"It felt good," was all he said as he slipped a fresh t-shirt over his head.

Hermione turned back around and walked over to him with a green potion in her hand. She unstoppered it. "Here, drink this. You'll feel better."

He took it, but asked her a question before knocking it back. "What is it?"

"Pepperup Potion. It should prevent you from getting pneumonia," Hermione answered watching him down the liquid. He gave it back to her when he drank it all. "Come on, let's go to sleep," she added as she put the empty bottle back in her bag and slipped under her covers in her cot. Harry did the same and waved his wand, the light went out, plunging the tent into darkness. Every so often, the night would light up from the lightning and Harry would see Hermione's form unmoving.

About ten minutes later, he heard movement and turned himself onto his side, facing Hermione. Guarding her. However, she was the one that was moving. His best friend stood before him. "Harry...?" she sounded a little scared.

"Are you afraid of the storm?" he asked her knowingly.

"Yes, c-can I sleep with you?"

"Sure." He scooted over and she got into the cot with him. Harry pulled the covers over her and kissed her on the side of the head. She smiled at him. "You can take on Snatchers, but you can't sleep through a storm?" he teased.

They both chuckled. "I've always been afraid of storms. Ever since I was little. I used to crawl into my parents' bed during storms. They would usually protect me from them. I don't do that anymore."

"Storms never really bothered me. You'll be fine. It can't hurt you." Hermione felt so safe in Harry's bed. Lying next to him. Feeling his warm body next to hers. She closed her eyes to the sound of his breathing and the pitter-pattering of the rain on the canvas of the tent. "Goodnight, Harry..." she whispered.

"Goodnight, Hermione," he breathed back. "I love you," he whispered inaudibly. He closed his own eyes and fell asleep.

* * *

_Twenty-year-old Harry Potter wrapped his arms around his wife's waist as they gazed into their daughter's crib, watching her fall asleep. She cooed as she stared up at them with her emerald-green eyes as she finished her bottle of milk. She looked to be about a year old. She was the opposite of Harry. She had her mother's looks, but her father's eyes. "Lily, it's time for bed, little girl. Goodnight," Hermione told their daughter and took her empty bottle from her hands. She waved her wand and sent it to the kitchen. The toddler began to cry, but settled down once Hermione put her pacifier in her mouth and wrapped her blanket around her._

_"Goodnight, Lily," Harry said. They left the room, turning out the lights and putting a nightlight on for her._

_"So, do you think we should start on that little brother or sister for Lily now?" Hermione asked with a mischievous grin. Harry grinned back. "I thought you would never ask." He leaned in and crushed his mouth to hers as they stumbled into their bedroom. _

_Harry gently shut the door behind them. Hermione pushed him up against the door, kissing him furiously. He grabbed her around her thighs and lifted her into his arms. Then, he turned around and pressed her up against the door. His wife tugged at his t-shirt and peeled it from his torso. She ran her hands all over his smooth muscles. He carried her to the bed and threw her down onto it. Clothes came off and soon they were naked under their warm covers. Harry was hovering over her staring into her eyes. She was staring back. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too." She guided his hips closer and closer to hers. She widened her legs more. Harry pushed himself into her with a content sigh. He was home. His warm and wet and tight home. She was the only one he had ever been with. And she will always be the only one. Hermione gasped and placed her hands on his sweaty, lower back. Using his hands for leverage, Harry pushed himself in and out of her. "Fuck! You're so tight!" He leaned down and kissed her passionately. She moaned and broke the kiss in pleasure. Harry's lips moved lower to her neck. Her hands found themselves in his sweaty hair. He moved lower to her breasts and kissed them and licked them and Hermione arched to get him closer to her._

_Harry's hips went faster and faster. In and out. Hermione moaned louder and louder. "Harry!" she gasped, trying to prevent him from going all the way out of her._

_"Hermione!" They both breathed out their release._

_Harry collapsed on top of his wife, but then rolled over next to her so that he wasn't crushing her. "I love you."_

_"I love you, too." They repeated their vows of love and then fell asleep with exhaustion._

_

* * *

_

Harry's eyes snapped open and he began to pant heavily. In his face was a mass of brown hair. _'Hermione'_ he reminded himself. His arms were wrapped around her tightly. Keeping her safe and warm in the night. Hermione moved slightly against him and he widened his eyes as it traveled down to his lower region. He felt himself harden more. Hermione had to feel it. She had to.

She stirred awake and looked at him, smiling sleepily. "Is that your wand in your pocket or are you just happy to see me?"

Harry blushed beet red. "Er...I-I c-c-can explain..."

"No need. You're male. It's natural," she said turning onto her back. Harry released his hold on her and jumped up out of the bed.

"I-I'll be right back," he said fleetingly running outside to relieve himself.

Hermione sat up in the bed, not believing that actually happened. She smiled, almost laughing at their situation. Oh, yes, it would be awkward for a while. But she couldn't help but giggle.

A few minutes later, Harry came back into the tent. He couldn't look at her. He was too embarrassed to make eye contact with her. Hermione could not stop giggling to herself. Yet, she could not believe that she made him react like that. _'Well, it is the morning...'_ she told herself. Hormone-filled men usually wake up like that in the morning. But what was he dreaming about? Sex, no doubt. But with whom she wondered. She blushed and shook off that last thought.

"Let's make our way to a small town to get some food, yeah?" Hermione suggested. "It's risky, but it's better than stealing, right?"

"Yeah," he agreed and they packed up the tent and their belongings.

They took down the wards and Hermione took Harry's hand, which made his heart flutter, and apparated them both to a small village. However, when they got there, they did not know someone was waiting for them.

What were the chances that they would end up circled by five Snatchers?

"Hello, beautiful," Scabior said to Hermione. "Snatch them!"

TBC...

* * *

**Hehe, I'm evil. Well, there's chapter 9. One more chapter to go and part 1 is done!**

**Next chapter is the Torture Scene. The one we've all been waiting for.**

**I know this story is called "Deathly Hallows" and I found a way to introduce it in the next chapter and then explain it in the 1st chapter of the 2nd part.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure when the next chapter's gonna be out. Keep a look out.**

**Pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


	10. Torture

**Thanx for the reviews!**

**frozenfiery: this is a two-parter, like the movies. It's not finished. You'll just have to wait until July. Hehe.**

**Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter, JK Rowling does.**

**Anyway, thanks for reading this. This is the last chapter of part 1. Hope you'll read part 2 in July.**

**Hurting**

"Hello, beautiful," Scabior said to Hermione. "Snatch them!"

Hermione grabbed Harry's hand and was about to take off when Greyback grabbed her and turned her around so that she faced Harry, ripping her hand out of his in the process. One of the Snatchers waved their wand and the two teenagers' wands flew out of their hands and into his. "Oh, no, you don't, girlie!" Scabior sneered walking towards her. It was a repeat of what happened at Godric's Hollow. Although, this time Harry doubted they would get out of this one.

"Stay away from her!" Harry said firmly as two Snatchers grabbed his arms once again. "Hold him tight, boys. Remember what happened last time? We don't want a repeat." Harry was forced to watch Scabior walk closer and closer to Hermione. He was two inches from her. "Such a pretty face..." Scabior smirked. He ran a finger down her cheek. Hermione was disgusted. She turned her head and looked at Harry, who was angry beyond compare.

"GET THE _FUCK _AWAY FROM HER!" Harry growled even angrier than the first time this happened.

Scabior looked at him and backhanded him across the face. "Shut up, Potter!" recognizing him right away from Godric's Hollow. "Your Mudblood girlfriend is going to get the treatment Mudbloods normally get. Accept it!"

"Please, let her go! It's me you want, huh? Isn't that right? Let her go and take me! Do whatever you want with me, but please, leave her alone!" His face stung, but he ignored it.

"No, Muggles are filthy and disgusting, yes...but it's the Mudbloods that make this world filthier. They _taint_ this earth with their blood." He turned to his fellow Snatchers. "We are not taking these two to the Ministry. Grab her bag! Search it!"

Another Snatcher took Hermione's bag from around her and began to look through it. He found the sword of Gryffindor and widened his eyes. "This is pretty."

Suddenly, _pop!_

They were gone.

* * *

Malfoy Manor. That's where they were to go. The home of Lucius, Narcissa, and Draco Malfoy. "Ah, Scabior, finally you've come back. And I see you've brought gifts," Bellatrix said with a happy grin. Her face fell as she realized who they'd caught. "You got him? Harry Potter? And his Mudblood whore? Nice, Scabior, you did good."

"Thank you. He was mating with the Mudblood when I found them. I had to nearly pry her off of him. They were getting rambunctious," he lied, but Bellatrix knew it. She still went with it, looking at the both of them disgusted. Harry blushed, realizing that he had a dream about he and Hermione...doing that.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk, naughty, naughty teenagers," she wagged her wand accusingly at them. "Always in heat. Always have the need to mate. A Half-Blood mating with a Mudblood. Making more offspring." She gave a disgusted look. Suddenly, something caught her eye. A glint. A _familiar _glint. She looked at the Snatcher that took Hermione's bag from her. The one that was now holding the sword of Gryffindor. She widened her eyes and pointed her wand at him. "Where did you get that?"

"I found it in the girl's bag. I reckon it's mine now," he replied to her smiling to himself.

"You _thief_! That's mine!" she yelled and waved her wand. The sword flew into her hand from his and he fell to his knees in pain. "Are you mad?" he exclaimed and she released him from her spell.

"Mad bitch," he hissed but she ignored it and turned to the two captives. She smirked at them. "You've stolen something of mine, haven't you?" she asked Hermione, who didn't reply. "You took something out of my vault!" she screamed in Hermione's face. The young woman flinched at the scream.

"Everyone out! Put the baby Potter boy in the cellar! I need to talk to the Mudblood. Girl to girl!" she yelled to the others.

"No!" Harry yelled and struggled against his holders again. "Hermione! Hermione!" The two Snatchers that held him led him down a flight of stairs to the cellar of the Malfoy Manor. They threw him in and quickly locked the wrought-iron door. Harry jumped to his feet and ran to the door. Too late. "No! HERMIONE!" He watched the two men go back up the stairs. "HERMIONE!"

"Harry...? Is that you?" he heard a familiar voice behind him. He turned around and gasped at who it was.

"Luna? Wh-what are you doing here?" he asked her. He saw two other bodies in the cellar. One was Mr. Ollivander, the wand-maker that gave Harry his wand his First Year at Hogwarts. The other was Griphook, a Gringotts goblin.

"They kidnapped me. They didn't like what Daddy was writing. Ron tried to fight them off and escaped. He tried to help me escape, but they took me at the last minute. What are you doing here? They found you?" she asked him getting closer and giving Harry a view of her. Her blonde hair was untidy. Her face was sweaty and she had a few cuts on it.

"Ron?" Harry asked confused.

"Oh, he didn't tell you?"

"I haven't seen Ron in months, Luna."

"Oh, right, well, he and I are together. He likes pudding, so I made him pudding. Then we were ambushed. He saved my life, you know."

Harry thought Luna and Ron were a strange couple, but it was very nice to see how perfect Luna was for Ron. She was very patient and could deal with his temper tantrums. She was strange and eccentric, but Ron must have liked her nevertheless.

"Listen, they have Hermione. And we need to get out of here. Before they call..._him_," he said.

* * *

"Now, be a good, little girl and cooperate. Okay, Mudblood?"

Hermione laid on the ground with her arms spread wide. Bellatrix was sitting on top of her, holding her arms down and whispering in her ear. Hermione was scared. Scared of what was going to happen to her. Scared of what was going to happen to Harry. "That sword is meant to be in my vault. How did you get it?" Hermione cried again. "You and that boy took it from _my vault_, didn't you?"

"Please...please...I didn't take anything," she sobbed. It was partly true. She and Harry did find the sword of Gryffindor, however, they did not take it from her vault. If they didn't, then who did?

Bellatrix scoffed and grabbed the younger woman's left arm. Hermione began to feel a burning on the underside of her arm. She screamed at the top of her lungs in pain.

"HERMIONE!" she heard her best friend and love of her life call out to her.

* * *

Harry heard the screaming from outside the cellar. "Hermione..." he whispered and a tear rolled down his cheek. "HERMIONE!" He turned to the wall and hit it as hard as he could with the palm of his hand. "_Fuck!_" They heard a noise from the stairs. Harry ran over to the door and saw Wormtail coming down to them. He held out his wand and opened the door. "Get back, boy!" He pointed his wand to Griphook. "Come, goblin." The goblin waddled over and followed Wormtail up the stairs. The rat-faced man locked the door. "My parents trusted you," Harry told him. "You betrayed them. You gave in. They trusted you."

That statement seemed to hurt him, but he just brushed it off. Suddenly, another scream erupted from the other room. "HERMIONE!" He looked desperately at Luna and Mr. Ollivander. "She's been tortured. She's in pain. Because of me."

"Harry, whatever you think you caused, you didn't. Hermione's being tortured for information. Information she's not giving obviously. She's _protecting _you," Luna replied.

"Exactly. She's protecting me. She's being hurt because of me because she's protecting me. I can't let that happen to her."

Luna noticed his desperation. She recognized it from seeing Ron act the same way when she was being captured. "You love her, don't you?"

Harry nodded. "Yes. So much. She's...everything to me."

A small _pop_ was heard in the cellar. Harry smiled as he saw Dobby standing there. He looked surprised to see the three of them there. "Oh! Hello, Harry Potter, sir."

"Dobby? You can apparate in and out of here?"

"Yes, only house elves can get past wards. Would you like to go somewhere, sir?"

He smiled, finding his savior in the house elf. "Dobby, I want you to get Mr. Ollivander and Luna out of here. Preferably the Lovegoods' house. They'll be safe there. Make sure to put wards up when you get there." Dobby nodded.

"Hello, sir," Luna said sweetly as he stood inbetween her and Mr. Ollivander.

"'Sir'? Oh, I like her. Meet me at the top of the stairs in ten seconds," he said and then popped away.

Harry heard more footsteps on the stairs again so he ran over to the wall next to the door and flattened himself against it. It was Wormtail again. Probably there to get him. He opened the door and stiffened. His wand flew out of his hand and he fell to the ground unconscious. Harry stepped over him and looked at the top of the stairs and saw Dobby standing there with Wormtail's wand in his hand. "Here, Harry Potter, sir." Harry ran up the steps and took the wand.

"Thank you, Dobby."

"You're very welcome, Harry Potter, sir. Let's go rescue Harry Potter's Miss," he said and popped away. Harry climbed the other stairs and hid behind a pillar. He saw Bellatrix standing by the fire interrogating Griphook. He saw Hermione lying on the floor. She was on her back and did not appear to be moving. "Hermione..." he whispered almost inaudibly. He scanned who else was in the room and he saw all three Malfoys and two Snatchers. Harry saw Bellatrix slice a cut on the goblin's face. But he would not speak.

"Very well, goblin. Take him back to the cellar and bring me the boy. I will expose of the Mudblood."

"Like hell," Harry whispered and jumped out from his hiding place. "_Stupefy!_" he shouted at the first Snatcher he saw. He was unprepared, so he fell down to the ground unconscious. Then, Harry got in a duel with the other Snatcher.

A moment later, Bellatrix yelled, "Stop!" Everyone stopped and looked at her. Harry's breath caught in his throat. She held Hermione in front of her with a knife against her throat. "Drop your wand, boy, or your whore gets it."

Harry immediately dropped his wand to the ground, staring at his love.

"Look who it is, love," Bellatrix said to Hermione in her ear. "It's Harry Potter. All fresh for the Dark Lord. Call him, Draco."

Draco looked at Hermione and then at Harry. Sure, he didn't like them, but he didn't want to see them hurt. So, he hesitated. Not lifting up his sleeve. His father scoffed at him and raised his own sleeve. But before he could, they all heard a squeaking noise. They all looked up and saw Dobby the house elf unscrewing the chandelier that was hovering over Bellatrix and Hermione. He giggled before popping away and the chandelier started to fall. Bellatrix let go of Hermione and she ran for Harry's arms. He held her against him and grabbed the wand off the ground. "_Accio _Hermione's bag! _Accio _wands!" Hermione's bag and his and her wands all flew into his hand. He gave them to Hermione.

"Bloody house elf! You could've killed me!" Bellatrix yelled.

"Dobby didn't mean to kill anyone. Dobby only meant to maim or seriously injure," he said innocently from a ledge behind Harry, Hermione, and Griphook, who had joined them. Narcissa Malfoy raised her wand, but Dobby disarmed her.

"How _dare _you defy your master!"

"Dobby has no master. Dobby is a free elf and Dobby will protect Harry Potter and his friends."

Bellatrix raised a dagger and threw it at the group, hoping to hit one of them as Dobby apparated them away.

* * *

Harry felt a cool breeze as he sat up in the plains at the Lovegoods' house. Hermione lay next to him staring at something on her right. "Hermione...? Are you okay?" She didn't answer, so he followed her gaze. "Dobby..."

The brave house elf was staggering and struggling to stand. "Harry Potter...?" he called weakly. He pulled the dagger that Bellatrix had thrown out of his chest and dropped it to the ground. Harry stood up and ran over to him. "Dobby." He caught him in his arms as he fell. Hermione rushed up next to him. She was in tears. "Dobby..." she stroked his cheek.

"Harry Potter, sir, end this darkness. End this evil. You and Harry Potter sir's Miss were always good to Dobby. Dobby will be forever grateful." He looked at his surroundings. "Such a beautiful place...to be with friends...such a beautiful place." His eyes closed and his heart stopped. And then his body started to lose its warmth. Harry began to cry and Hermione leaned her head onto his shoulder.

"Harry? Hermione?" they heard a familiar voice call. They looked over to the tall house's front door and saw Ron with Luna in his arms. He looked confused as to what was happening. The redhead and the blonde made their way to their friends.

"Oh, no. Is that Dobby?" Ron asked.

Harry nodded. "Yeah." He looked at Luna. "I want to bury him. Without magic. He said that this was a beautiful place. Would you mind if we buried him on your property?"

"No, we'd be honored. We have a perfect spot under an oak tree. Right next to where we buried my mother," she said with a sad smile. "I'll go get the shovel." Even though it was serious, she still skipped away.

* * *

It was Hermione that carried the beloved house elf to his final resting place. Right there under the Lovegoods' oak tree next to Luna's mother. Harry thought she was perfect to lay him to rest. For years, she had been trying to free the house elves, but had gotten no such luck. Now she had met one that was free and he had saved her life. Harry dug a hole big enough for him to fit in. Luna's father, Xenophilius, brought out a white blanket to wrap him in. Harry helped her place him in the hole and then they filled the hole back in.

Harry wrote on a piece of bark that had fallen from the tree:

_"Here lies Dobby_

_A free elf"_

Harry stuck it in the ground above his grave. "Goodbye, Dobby, and thank you for everything," Harry said and they all stayed there for about a half hour. Just thanking the brave house elf for his courage to defy his masters.

They all stood up and walked toward the house. Harry and Hermione were reminded of the Burrow when they saw the house. Then they remembered that the Weasleys lived a couple of miles away.

"So, Ron, you and Luna, huh?" Harry smirked a bit.

"Harry," he whispered in his ear. "I think I'm in love with her."

Harry chuckled lightly. "I'm happy for you, mate."

They walked into the house and took off their coats. Harry gasped when he looked at Hermione's arm. He saw red seeping through her button-up shirt. "Hermione!" He grabbed her arm gently and looked into her eyes. She looked ashamed and averted her eyes from his. Instead, she looked to the ground and let him see her arm. Harry let go of her arm and took off her shirt. There was a more clear view of the red spot on her arm now on her undershirt. Everyone stood in the house watching him. He looked at her again and then raised her sleeve to her elbow. He gasped.

There. Etched into her skin was the one word Harry despised more than he hated You-Know-Who.

_"Mudblood"_

Her rich, red blood had dried around it. He looked at her face. She was still looking down at the ground. Ashamed of herself. "Hermione..." he whispered gingerly. "Hermione, look at me." She lifted her head and he saw tears in her eyes. He let go of her arm and cupped one side of her face in his hand. "Listen to me, that word means _nothing_. It's just a word. A dirty word. It means _nothing_. Don't be ashamed of what's in your blood. Muggle blood. It doesn't matter what's in your blood. What matters is what's in your heart. Nothing else. Nothing else, Hermione. And I know that what's in your heart is something amazing. Death Eaters and Snatchers. They judge people for what they are. By blood. I pity them. I pity them because they don't know you. They haven't gotten the chance to know you. They didn't even try. Because you're it. You're the reason there is good in this world. You're so beautiful, it makes so many people cry. Your heart is so pure, everything that is bad in this world should be cringing at how powerful it is. And if you think you're going to be ashamed of one _fucking _word, then you aren't who I thought you were. Because, Hermione, you're better than any of them. No," he corrected himself, "you're better than any of us."

Hermione's heart tore and had resown itself back together at his words. She threw her arms around her best friend's neck and hugged him tightly. Everyone was touched at Harry's words to his best friend. Ron smiled at his two friends. Yes, they were in love. Just very stupid not to do something about it.

Hermione had calmed down and Harry released her and kissed her forehead. He smiled at her, held her against his side, and then turned to Xenophilius Lovegood. "Hello, sir, I'm Harry Potter." He looked just like Luna. He had long blonde hair and dressed like a hippie. Around his neck was a strange necklace. It was a strange symbol. It was a circle with a line in the middle of it and was surrounded by a triangle. Harry held out his hand to the man.

"Xenophilius Lovegood. Thank you for helping my daughter."

Harry nodded. "Er, sir, what is that around your neck?"

Xenophilus looked down at his necklace and said, "Oh, this..." He looked back at Harry and asked,

"Tell me, Harry Potter, have you ever heard of the Deathly Hallows?"

Harry shook his head.

"Alright, everyone sit down, I'll go and make some tea. Then I'll tell you everything you want to know about the Deathly Hallows."

THE END...

...but TBC in part 2 coming in July.

* * *

**Well, there was part 1. It's finished. Yay! Hope you liked it. I started to get teary-eyed when Dobby died and Harry's speech to Hermione. I think I did well on at least including the Deathly Hallows in this part. Haha. Also, big part for Draco coming soon in p2.**

**Anyway, I'm not sure what I'm going to do between now and July. I may start on another child story. Haha. I don't know. You'll see soon maybe.**

**Thanx for reading this! And keep a look out for part 2 in July.**

**Pleez review!**

**DREWHHR**


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